Wastelanders and Wanderers v1 (NOW OBSOLETE! See WaW: for rewrite!)
by Jade117TheLoneWanderer
Summary: Please see the shiny, new version of WaW: Wastelanders and Wanderers. Thanks everyone for your support, I hope to improve in the new one!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **Disclaimer : **_**I DO NOT OWN FALLOUT OR THE FALLOUT UNIVERSE! THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!**_

 **Summary** **:** Alice Catherine Vann has lived in Vault 101 all her life. It isn't until that fateful day she is torn from everything she knows and is thrown into the real world. She will encounter friends, enemies, and will come to realize what love truly is. Told from the perspectives of those she crosses paths with. **WARNING: Contains graphic violence, abuse, and f/f relationships. Don't like, don't read.**

 **Rating** **:** Rated M for depictions of graphic violence, physical and sexual abuse, and female/female relationships which may or may not also contain sexual scenes. I will do my best to clearly mark if the chapter contains allusions to such content, or clearly mark where graphic content starts and ends. **EXCEPTION: Fallout is a very violent world. As such, I will not mark or explicitly indicate chapters containing graphic violence if they do not contain sexual abuse. I am assuming those of you who have played the game are the ones reading, so you know what to expect in the universe, and brains being splattered all over the walls is no surprise to you via Wasteland Justice.** You've been warned. By proceeding, you agree that you are of 18 years or older and do not have an issue with this.

 **Pairings** **:** Lone Wanderer and Amata Almodovar, Lone Wanderer and Sarah Lyons

 **Cover Image** **:** I own the image. I took it in-game and modified it to suit my purposes.

 _As a head's up, I'm taking the liberty with a few things, most notably, I am giving Sarah more face-time: she will be more involved in the Lone Wanderer's quest (how else are they supposed to fall in love?), but I will try my best to keep her, and everyone else, in character._

 _I am taking a different approach to the traditional Fallout 3 storyline._

 _For starters, this will not be written in the perspective of the Lone Wanderer, instead, it's from the perspective of the people she meets. Secondly, I am altering certain characters' time with the Lone Wanderer: e.g. since Sarah Lyons is supposed to be reminiscent of the romantic interest, she will play more of a part in the story. Thirdly, there will be graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, and female/female relationships (with possible femslash). These scenes will be clearly marked and labeled for those who do not wish to read._

 _I will also be posting mods I will be referencing within the story at the end of each chapter._

 _I hope you enjoy it!_

 _ **WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, SECTION IS CLEARLY MARKED!**_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

White light emanated from the fluorescent tubes embedded in the ceiling. The air was stale, almost as if it had been circulated and recycled through the room for over two centuries. The air was cold, kept at a temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit in an attempt to keep any and all who entered the room awake. A large, circular desk sat in the center of the room.

Seated at the desk, a man in his late forties meticulously read each sheet of paper before him. His gray hair was cut short while he sported a goatee on his dark face. A white, cushioned seat sat across from the man. To the seat's left, back against the wall, a young woman sat at her own desk in the Northeastern corner of the room.

Tucking a strand of raven black hair behind her ear, the girl sighed, tired yet restless simultaneously. The black, ballpoint pen tapped rhythmically on the desk, bouncing up and down between the two fingers holding it.

"Amata…" the chiding voice of the Overseer silenced the sound immediately.

"Sorry, Daddy." she murmured, staring down at the heap of paperwork in front of her. Twirling circles between her index finger and thumb, the pen's end continued to move, keeping the Overseer's assistant awake after working for several hours during the wee hours of the morning.

At the sound of her father's throat clearing, Amata stopped and looked up from her work. His expression was a firm and unyielding scowl. "You know I don't like it when you make unnecessary sounds, _especially_ with your pen."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Your mother never made such sounds."

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, the raven-haired girl replied, "Yes, Daddy."

 _You'd think I'd be used to comments like that when he's been comparing me to her all my life._

To her relief, instead of continuing on a rant about her mother from when she was alive, her father returned his attention to his work.

She straightened the pile of Vault Loyalty Inspection reports and, after glancing over Officer Mack's report on Jonas, signed the bottom of the form upon the Overseer's signature line and turned it face down beside her much shorter stack of reviewed reports.

Her eyes rested on the name at the top of the next form: Inspector Vann, her best friend… and secret girlfriend. Raising her cup of coffee to her lips, Amata did her best to hide her smile: reading Alice's reports was always the highlight of her work. She leaned forward to read the memorandum, peering over the rim of her mug as she sipped at her drink. Brown eyes followed each messy line of her lover's handwriting, as she smiled in admiration.

It was simple, both the report and her pleasure, but each report she read from Alice was just like spending time with her, a luxury they could not afford as much anymore since her father kept his eyes on Amata and Chief Hannon Sr. kept his eyes on Alice, both men watching their staff members.

 _Butch DeLoria. Sex: Male. Age: 19. Occupation: Hairdresser._

Amata recalled the way Alice had complained to her concerning the layout of the report. " _It's not like there's a ton of us either! And besides, they have all of our information on record anyway, why do I need to regurgitate it onto this stupid report!?"_

 _As stated in previous reports, upon searching the subject's quarters, a switchblade and several bottles of vodka were found. The bottles in question were of various degrees of use, ranging from full to empty._

 _A suggestive note from a "C", most likely Christine Kendall, was also located in the subject's quarters: tucked between sets of unkempt and unfolded Vault 101 jumpsuits. The note is attached to this form._

The Overseer's assistant lifted the report and noticed the note in question was paperclipped to the back of the top left corner of the form. She continued to read the report.

 _In conclusion, the inspector suggests action be taken to avoid unauthorized breeding as well as a follow-up on the actions demonstrated for unauthorized possession of a bladed weapon and over-consumption of alcohol within the residency._

 _Signed, Inspector Alice Catherine Vann, August 15, 2277_

Redirecting her attention to the attached note, Amata mentally prepared herself for what suggestions Christine had made to the hairstylist.

 _B,_

 _Meet me on the reactor level after curfew. Bring blankets. Come alone, if you like, just make sure he's willing to share._

 _I'll be waiting._

 _C_

From the way the i's were dotted with hearts and the fact that only one individual in the entire vault had a first name beginning with the letter "C", Amata confirmed Alice's identification of the writer.

"Daddy," Amata started, meeting her father's gaze. "From these reports, I believe it is safe to assume unauthorized breeding may be a factor of concern."

The Overseer leaned forward, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Who are the subjects in question?"

"Butch DeLoria and Christine Kendall."

"Who is the inspector responsible for the investigation?"

Amata swallowed, knowing full well her father would doubt her lover's credibility. "Inspector Vann, Daddy."

As the man lifted his chin and leaned back in his leather chair, the seat squeaked from age. He held out his hand and Amata handed him the report. The man's eyes ran over the form, coming to rest with a grimace at the name signed at the bottom. "What evidence is there?"

"A note, Daddy." Amata procured the small piece of paper in question and presented it to her father.

The man took the note and ran his eyes over it. After an instant, he snorted. "This is _hardly_ 'evidence', Amata."

"But Daddy -"

"Yes, they are breaking curfew, whoever 'B' and 'C' are, but we don't know unauthorized breeding is occurring."

"Why don't we send someone down there to investigate?" Amata suggested.

"A waste of resources," the Overseer waved his hand dismissively. "And a waste of time."

The nineteen year old was persistent. "And what if it's true?"

A hard expression crossed the man's face and Amata thought she would be reprimanded. To her surprise, he inquired, "And whom would you suggest conduct this investigation?"

"The inspector responsible for the report, Inspector Vann."

The Overseer did not seem too keen on the suggested individual. "Wouldn't you want someone more _senior_ or _experienced_ to lead the investigation?"

"Wouldn't you want a more senior or experienced officer working on more _important_ issues? Besides, Inspector Vann conducted the original investigation, wouldn't it be best for her to lead the follow-up?" The young woman quickly added the second sentence when she saw the rage in her father's eyes.

Facial expression unwavering, the Overseer relented, "Very well, Inspector Vann may conduct the follow-up investigation. But if she is wrong, I will ensure Officer Mack will be there to _correct_ her."

Amata's own expression turned dark. She did not appreciate threats to her lover, and as her lover had defended her over the years, Amata was set on defending her in return. "Alice has done nothing wrong! She is simply doing her job! It's not as if she volunteered herself for the investigation! That was _my_ choice!"

"And how do I know that to be true," her father kept his voice steady. "You two have been close ever since you were children, how do I know she hasn't manipulated you to make such a suggestion to further her own career?"

"Alice would never -" Amata cut herself off and took in a breath, attempting to calm herself down. When she refocused, she spoke calmly, "Father, she is my best friend. I trust her. When I become Overseer, I will need to trust _someone_ my age and appoint them as my chief of security."

"Amata, you cannot -"

"And why not? You chose Chief Hannon."

"Perhaps Officer Mack -"

"No, father, when I become Overseer, it will be _my_ choice."

"That will not be for many more years, Amata."

"That gives you plenty of time to grow to trust Alice."

The Overseer stared at his daughter, astonished. He finally managed to say, "I will hear nothing more on the matter. Your 'friend' can perform the investigation but one mistake, and she'll be -"

"If you hurt her, I will never speak to you again." Amata threatened.

"Do not be so brash, Amata. Some individuals must have their behavior _corrected_."

"And shouldn't the Overseer ensure his people are kept safe? Away from harm?"

"If one must suffer for the good of the Vault -"

"Then I want nothing to do with being the Overseer!"

The man's features softened for a moment. Just a moment. He glanced at his Pip-Boy and sighed. "I have had you working for several hours. Perhaps it is best if you take a break, give you time to cool down and refocus." Amata opened her mouth to object, but her father cut her off with a raise of his hand. "You can tell your friend she has the investigation."

Before Amata could reply, a terminal on the Overseer's surveillance wall began to blink and emit a high-pitched beep at a rate of two, quick tones per second. Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, the man turned and examined the terminal, pressing a button to halt the blinking screen.

Amata remained in the room, curious, despite the dread filling her chest.

"What… is…" the Overseer stared at the screen for several moments, a single line of text highlighted and in all caps; though from her position from across the desk, Amata could not read the line. Suddenly, the Overseer darted to the PA microphone and almost growled, "Chief Hannon to the Overseer's office."

In an instant, the Chief of Vault Security marched into the room. He nodded to the Overseer, ignoring Amata and stated, "Sir! We are working on containing the problem. The radroaches are -"

"How long has this been happening!?" the Overseer hissed.

"Not two minutes, sir. Doctor James opened the door to the Vault and left."

Amata's breath hitched in her throat. _Opened the door… and_ left _!?_

The Overseer immediately smashed his fist into his desk. " _How_ did he escape!?"

"Sir, we believe Jonas may have been an accomplice in Doctor James' escape."

"Bring him to me." Amata saw something flash through her father's eyes, something she could not name but was almost… animalistic, wild.

Chief Hannon spoke into his shoulder radio. "Change of plans, bring Jonas to the Overseer's office." He turned back to the Overseer. "The doctor's exit allowed hundreds of radroaches into the Vault. We've managed to seal the door again but the pests are already moving through the air ducts."

"I'll issue an announcement ordering all residents to remain in their quarters while your men deal with the problem."

As her father bent over the PA system and began recording his message to play onto the Emergency Broadcast Station, Amata's mind began to race. _How was he able to leave? The Vault has been closed for over two hundred years! It can't be opened… can it?_

She recalled the words her father had said to her, about the secret tunnel running from beneath the Overseer's office to the Vault entrance.

Her thoughts were thrown asunder when other security officers stormed in. Officers Mack, O'Brian, Wolfe, Richards, Park, and Kendall entered the office. Officer Mack threw a man in a white lab coat onto the ground before the Overseer's desk.

It was Jonas.

The man trembled in fear at the feet of the officers. He looked up at Amata, silently pleading to her. His glasses had been smashed in and blood pooled out from his mouth.

"Where are Officers Armstrong, Wilkins, Gomez, and Taylor!?" the Overseer snarled.

"Dealing with the radroach infestation, sir." Chief Hannon explained.

Giving a slightly satisfied "hmph", the Overseer walked to the man kneeling on the floor. The gray-haired man bent down and spoke quietly, yet calmly. "Jonas, you've caused quite a commotion, young man. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jonas stared up at the older man, "Sir, I… I…"

The Overseer was not impressed. "Gentlemen, jog his memory."

Officer Mack was the first to strike. Amata didn't even see him raise his police baton. The melee weapon cracked over the man's back, sending him crashing into the concrete. The other officers converged on Jonas and swarmed him, beating him over and over again with their police batons.

"STOP!" he begged, but the officers continued their onslaught, his pleas falling on deaf ears.

Amata stood frozen in place, mortified. She stared between the officer's bodies, unable to do anything but watch the horror unfolding before her eyes. Blood splattered everywhere, bones cracked, glass smashed into Jonas' eyes and cut into his face. His pleas for mercy were reduced to blood-curdling screams.

The girl tried tearing her eyes away, but found she could not. She watched as the man crawled out the door and into the hallway, he struggled to stay up on his knees, and he began to slump to the floor.

The men did not stop.

Not until Jonas was lying motionless on the ground.

Amata didn't know what was happening. The next thing she knew, the Overseer and the security forces had exited the office, searching for Alice. She managed to get a hold of her father's pistol and before she knew it, she was sprinting through the Vault, evading security and jumping over radroaches.

She charged through the door of the Vann's family complex and entered Alice's room, breathless, though not for the usual reasons.

The raven-haired girl sighed in relief when she saw the other girl's sleeping form. Alice was fully dressed in her Vault 101 jumpsuit, she had most likely fallen asleep after her shift.

"Wake up! C'mon, wake up!" she shook the brunette's shoulders, jostling her until the other's eyes opened, eyes still full of sleep. She whirled her head around, hoping the security team hadn't been as fast as she had been.

Hearing Alice groan in protest, Amata turned her head back to her lover. "C'mon, you've got to wake up!" Before she had time to fully turn around, she felt two arms wrap around her waist.

A voice whispered in a low, suggestive tone, sending chills up and down her spine and for a moment, Amata forgot why she was in Alice's room in the first place. "But it's so comfy, why don't you join me?" The brunette pressed her lips to Amata's neck.

"D-don't be a smart-mouth! This is serious," Amata continued when she saw her lover's expression turn to that of concern. "My father's men are looking for you, they-they've already killed Jonas! You-you've got to get out of here!"

"What," Alice jumped out of her bed. She still had her red lipstick on and her long hair was bound up in a messy ponytail. Amata concluded her shift must have been extremely draining if she didn't change or cleanup before sleeping. "Jonas is dead? What the hell is going on?"

"My father's men think Jonas helped your dad escape. They caught him and brought him into my dad's office and they… Oh my God…" she began to quake in fear, remembering the bloody scene in her father's office. She collapsed onto the bed and held her head in her hands, beginning to sob.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders and Alice's soothing voice reached her ears. "Amata…"

"I'm sorry… he's dead. They beat him… They just wouldn't stop… And my father _ordered_ them to do it!"

Alice rubbed Amata's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Everything'll be okay, Amata."

The girl shook her head and gave Alice a slight push. "No it won't! We've got to go, now. My father's men will be here any minute!"

"But why," Confusion flooded Alice's hazel eyes. "What do you mean Dad escaped?"

"He's left the Vault! And my father thinks you've helped him like Jonas and he's sent his men to find you! You can't let him catch you. I think he'd kill you. I really do." She threw her arms around Alice, afraid of losing the one person she cared for.

The brunette shook her head, "My dad can't have left, the door is sealed shut!"

"Not anymore, apparently…" Amata sniffed. "But… are you honestly telling me you had no idea your dad was leaving? He really didn't tell you?"

Alice squeezed her even tighter. "No, I had no idea he was planning to leave."

 _Why wouldn't he tell her?_

Holding her at half-arms length, Amata continued. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe Jonas was supposed to explain everything to you? But it doesn't matter. _I_ can help you escape. _I_ have my own plan!" Amata tried to sound more optimistic than she felt.

"Not another one of your 'plans', Amata…" Somehow, Alice found the will to chuckle.

"No! I mean I do have a plan, and it'll work better than that time we tried to steal Mr. Brotch's…" the Overseer's daughter shook her head. "Come on, be serious. This will work. It _has_ to. Listen. My father sealed the door to the exit to prevent anyone else from escaping. There's another way through. There's a secret tunnel that runs from the Overseer's office to the Vault door! Security doesn't even know about it. Nobody except my father and me. 'One of the Overseer's secrets,' he says."

Alice's eyes began to dart around staring at the floor, the way they always did when she was thinking. After a moment, she finally stood up once again and began stuffing items into her gym bag, the dark blue one she used to carry her baseball gear when they played in their teens. Jumpsuits, her baseball bat, the first issue of _Grognak the Barbarian_ , everything that had meaning to her in their sheltered lives.

"Use these to get into his office," the Hispanic girl pressed a box of bobby pin into Alice's hand. "That's how I always get us in there." She blushed a little at the memory of their escapades when both their fathers had not been working late. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Amata continued. "Once you're in, use his computer to open the door to the tunnel. I don't have a password to his computer so you'll have to hack it. But that shouldn't give you any trouble."

 _She can do it. I_ know _she can._

"I'll find my father and make sure he doesn't go back to his office. But you'd better hurry." Amata made her way to the door. She suddenly remembered the weight at her hip. "Oh, and one more thing. I stole my father's pistol. I hope you won't need it, but you'd better take it just in case."

The brunette took the firearm and checked its sights as well as the clip. She nodded, satisfied, and strapped it to her own hip. "Thanks, Amata. I'll only use it as a last resort, I promise."

"Okay. I'll try to meet you at the exit. Watch out for security," she saw the fear in her best friend's eyes: the doubt that her former co-workers would try to kill her present. Amata knew what they would do. She had seen it. She threw her arms around the other girl's neck and whispered, "Good luck."

Alice returned the embrace and Amata stopped trembling. "You too."

After stealing a quick kiss, the Overseer's daughter dashed out of the room and charged towards the Overseer's office, searching for her father with a renewed energy. She passed by several rooms, hearing the inhabitants of the Vault screaming at something.

As she took the steps two at a time, a radroach the size of her torso squealed in aggression. It stood at the top of the stairs, coming face to face with her as she rounded the corner.

Amata screamed and fell back onto the landing. It jumped at her, she scrabbled backwards, retreating to the top of the flight of stairs she had just bounded up. The antennae wiggled and it raised its front legs to attack.

"Ha!" a man's voice shouted. The Vault security officer bashed his police baton into the insect, splattering its entrails over the walls of the stairwell and into Amata's face.

After countless swings, the man finally took notice of the girl shaking on the other side of the landing. Amata finally recognized the man's face.

It was Officer Mack.

Blood draining from her face, Amata tried to jump to her feet and run back down the stairs. But the man was faster than her.

"Not so fast!" His hand darted out and snatched her wrist as he snarled.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

The pressure around her wrist increased and the girl winced in pain, freezing her movements. "What were you doing down there!?"

"N-nothing!" She stammered.

Mack pulled her in closer, she could smell the bite of his breath as he spoke. "Sure doesn't look like 'nothing'." He pointed to something on her neck.

The girl began to struggle against his grip once again. She couldn't see what he was pointing to, but it couldn't be good. "Let me go!" she repeated.

A wicked smile crossed his face. "Let's go see what your daddy has to say about this!"

Yanking her up the rest of the stairs, Mack dragged Amata towards the Overseer's office.

Amata was not sure if she should be relieved or terrified, she was about to fulfill her end of the plan yet Mack seemed too cheerful about what he had found.

Before she could decide, Mack threw her into the security office. She threw her arms out in front of her to stop herself from licking the boots of someone already standing in the office.

Her eyes met another's, her father's.

"What is the meaning of this!?" her father barked as Amata adjusted herself to sit, her legs tucked underneath her.

"I found her on the stairwell from the Atrium." Mack grinned.

The Overseer glared down at his daughter. "What were you doing, Amata?"

She opened her mouth to speak but Mack's voice sounded before hers. "Oh, I can tell you what she was doing." A sharp pain resonated from the back of her head and her neck pinched when the man turned her head to the side, exposing her neck.

Silence filled the room.

"Amata…"

The young woman glanced up at her father.

Walking to the desk in the office, the Overseer pulled open a drawer and asked, "Are you aware of what Officer Mack has found?" He reached in and grasped something.

Amata paled in fear.

 _My father wouldn't kill me. My father wouldn't kill me._

He lifted a small, rectangular mirror from the drawer and stooped down. "What is that?" he asked as he turned the mirror on her.

A pair of red lips had been imprinted on her skin.

 _Alice's lipstick._

Amata gulped, trying to swallow her fear.

 _Be strong. Be strong for Alice._

"I do recall Vann wearing red lipstick during her shift." Mack smirked in victory.

At the mention of Alice's last name, the Overseer's expression turned into one of fury. "Officer Mack, get my daughter a chair."

* * *

 _ **START GRAPHIC CONTENT**_

* * *

Amata felt a hand close over the back of her collar and she was thrown into a chair. She balled her hands into fists and rested them on her knees, trying to contain her fear.

"Amata, where were you for the past fifteen minutes?"

The girl clenched her jaw, promising to herself she would not speak.

"Where were you," Her father's voice began to raise in volume. When she refused to speak, the man sighed. "I do not wish for Officer Mack to hurt you," Amata glanced at the man wielding the police baton. "But if you do not speak, I will have to find _some_ way to make you."

 _He wouldn't hurt me. My father wouldn't hurt me._ Amata stared at the locker across the room.

She felt the air woosh against her face before she felt the pain. The baton connected to her shoulder and she cried out in pain as her shoulder exploded with red hot heat.

"Where were you?" her father repeated the question.

Amata hummed against the pain, clutching her knees to steady herself. She sucked in several breaths and continued to stare at the locker.

 _Locker 8._

Pain erupted from her other shoulder and the girl bit back a scream. Her breaths became shaky, both from her terror and pain.

"Were you with Alice?"

Mack hit hurt left hand next. Blood seeped over her knuckles where the baton hit her and she was sure some of her fingers were broken.

She wanted the pain to stop.

 _Just one question. That's all he's asking. Just one question._

Amata nodded, tears of shame running down her face.

"What did she do to you?" Rage burned in the Overseer's eyes.

"Nothing!"

"Then what is that!?" He pointed to the incriminating mark of affection on her neck.

The raven-haired girl wasn't sure how to say it. But when Mack raised his weapon, she flinched and confessed. "She kissed me!"

"She what!?"

Realizing her mistake at incriminating Alice in their affair, Amata quickly added, "And I kissed her!"

The Overseer froze. Stunned. Finally, he questioned, "Why?"

"She - I…" Amata tried to form words. "We… I… I like her."

"You can't," he began screaming. "It isn't right! Two girls!? And right after her father escaped!?"

The girl tried to dig herself out of the hole before her father realized their true relationship. "She's my best friend. I wanted to make sure she was safe."

"I always knew there was something wrong with her. Always knew she had some hold on you. And here it is."

Amata didn't say anything, afraid to tell her father the truth.

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know."

He nodded to Mack, "Go ahead, officer."

Grinning wolfishly, the officer pulled off his glove and introduced the back of his hand to her face. His dirty fingernails scratched against her skin, cutting her and sending a sharp, stinging pain up her face.

"Now then, are you ready to tell me where your friend has gone?"

"I told you, I don't know anything!"

The Overseer sucked in a breath to calm himself. He spoke up after a moment, "Be reasonable, Amata. Officer Mack may enjoy this, but I don't. Just tell us where to find your friend, so we can talk to her."

Warm tears began to flow once again. "She's my friend. I was worried about her. What does she have to do with this anyway?"

"Probably nothing. Which is why you need to tell me where she is, so I can talk to her."

"I'm not telling you anything! And don't pretend you aren't enjoying this, Daddy. You're sick!"

"Amata, please," the Overseer implored his daughter. "Don't be stubborn. I only want to talk to your friend. Surely you understand what's at stake here."

Mack simply grinned, clearly revelling in the rush of torturing another human being.

She shuddered at the thought of what her father would do to Alice if he managed to get a hold of her. Thankfully, she had his full attention. Alice would be able to escape.

"What are you going to do, Daddy? Beat me to death, like you did poor Jonas?"

The Overseer sighed, dejected. "Very well. There's no hurry. Your friend isn't going anywhere, after all."

Her thoughts raced, trying to figure out what else her father would let Mack do to her. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at her father, challenging him. "If you think I'll betray her, you don't know me very well."

"Amata, darling. Why must you be so stubborn? The last thing I want is to see you hurt, but my duty to the Vault comes first."

" _Duty to the Vault."_ His words filled her mouth with bitter salt.

"Go to hell!" she spat.

The Overseer grimaced at his daughter. "I've always indulged you, Amata. And now you've taken advantage of my lenience." He nodded to Mack.

The officer swung at her face. Pain ran up her jaw. She spat out a mouthful of blood.

Amata began to beg. "Daddy, please stop! Don't you understand, I can't tell you. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Again." her father ordered.

The officer's fist smashed into her cheekbone, banging Amata's head back against the chair from the force.

Stars filled her vision, and she struggled to keep her head up. "Please stop. Please don't have him hit me again. Don't you care that I'm your own daughter?"

"One more time. Use the baton, that will get her to talk."

Mack brandished his weapon once again and raised it over his head.

* * *

 _ **END GRAPHIC CONTENT**_

* * *

"No," Amata pleaded, knowing her words would go unheard. "Please don't!" She turned her head to the side, anticipating the pain. As she was about to shut her eyes, she stared. Through the glass window, she saw someone, someone in security armor. They stood by the door, slightly bent over, as if they were hurrying to open it.

Suddenly, the door to the security office sprang open and a security officer armed with a baseball bat charged in. They immediately rushed to Mack and began to attack. Amata recognized Alice's face behind the security helmet.

Confused, relieved, and positive their plan had just failed, Amata used the adrenaline pumping through her veins to sprint out the door and run to her dining room.

She slumped in a chair and held her head in her trembling hands. She began to sob. She had failed Alice.

A hand at her shoulder coaxed a scream out of her and Amata jerked back, sending herself falling towards the ground.

"Easy there," a familiar voice murmured, steadying Amata's chair and setting her upright. "I'm here. You're safe now." Alice had taken off her helmet and stared at her lover.

Amata pulled her in close and buried her face in Alice's chest. "Thank you," she managed to whisper through a sob. "Thank you." She began to cover her face in kisses. "Thank you! I told you my father wasn't himself. I don't know what he might have done if you hadn't come along."

The brunette didn't say anything, she just continued looking at her lover, shame and regret and guilt reflecting in her hazel eyes. She began to pull gauze over Amata's hands.

Pushing her away, the Hispanic girl shook her head. "You'd better get out of here. I'll try to meet you at the Vault door."

Alice froze, unsure of what to do.

Amata offered her a strong smile and squeezed her hand reassuringly, despite the stabbing pain searing through her fingers. "If I don't make it... good luck." She pressed her lips to the other girl's and darted into her room, beginning to gather more gear for her lover's journey.

With a start, she realized she wouldn't be going with her. She began stuffing more jumpsuits into her own red gym bag and as many boxes of bobby pins as she could find. She ran to the kitchen and emptied all of the cabinets and the refrigerator.

A thought hit her like Mack had. Amata ran to her room and pulled out a blank holotape. As she ran to her father's office, she began to record.

"Alice, I'm sorry I can't come with you. I want to, so badly, but I can't. Things'll be crazy when you leave and someone has to keep things civil. That's up to me. It's clear my father can't be trusted to do that."

She followed the stairs leading down from beneath her father's desk and continued, "So that leaves me. I will try to calm things down so that when you return, you will be welcomed back with open arms. This was all a big misunderstanding. Once you come back with your dad, everything will be fine. We can be together again. And you'll be safe at home."

A blaring alarm sounded, reverberating through her chest as she navigated through the depths of the Vault. "I love you. Remember that when you're out there. I love you."

She stopped recording and saw a figure standing alone at the Vault entrance. Using the last of her energy, she slid the holotape into the bag and raced forward, staring breathless. The huge door rolled to the side and opened the Vault to the outside world: a tunnel led from the entrance and Amata caught glimpse of a wooden door at the end.

"Oh my God... you actually opened it…"

Alice smiled at her and reached out to hold Amata's hand. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

She shook her head. "No, you didn't need me. If anyone can survive out there, it's you."

The brunette rubbed her thumb reassuringly over her lover's fingers. "Why don't you come with me?"

Sucking in a breath, Amata tried to tell her gently. "It's tempting, but... my place is here. The Vault needs me more than you do. I'm the only one who has a chance to talk some sense into my father."

Amata swore in that moment, she saw Alice's heart break. But the brunette didn't say anything. She simply nodded and forced a smile.

Wrapping her arms around her, Amata mustered the courage to say, "Listen, if you do catch up with your dad, tell him I'm sorry. For... you know, Jonas, and my father, and everything."

"I will," she choked and nodded. Alice pulled back and smiled. "I'll be back before you know it."

The raven-haired girl returned the smile, knowing she would return, but was unsure just how long it would be. Would it be days? Months? Years?

Shouting reached Amata's ears and she quickly shoved her gym bag into Alice's hands. "You have to go! _Now_!"

She saw Alice hesitate, grabbing her blood-stained baseball bat as she looked behind Amata towards the voices.

"Alice!" Amata insisted, pushing the bag further into her lover's arms.

Giving one last tortured look at Amata, the brunette stole a kiss from the Overseer's daughter and fled. She slung the bag onto her back, joining her own gym bag.

Amata rested her hands on the Vault door controls. As soon as Alice was clear, she pressed a button and pulled the lever back. The alarm began to blare once again as the door started to roll back into place.

As the men burst through the door behind her, Amata saw Alice turn back to look at her once more. The Overseer's daughter did not even register the words her father's men were shouting at her. All she could do was stare.

The white light creeping from the cracks of a door at the end of the tunnel leading to the outside world framed the brunette's thin, yet strong figure. Their eyes met for a moment, and before the door shut, Alice tore her hazel eyes away from her best friend's.

The last thing Amata saw was the yellow "101" emblazoned on the back of a blue jumpsuit before the door screeched and sealed itself, just as it had done 200 years ago.

* * *

 _ **I hope you guys liked the first chapter! I will be bouncing from this story and my other story,**_ **Children Among Saints** _ **, for updates. I am on winter break and I hope to get a lot more written than I did during the semester.**_

 _ **For those of you who have not read**_ **CAS** _ **, please know that I am a full-time student working two jobs and I am also in AFROTC so I barely had enough time to breathe during the semester. When school starts back up, which I will notify you guys of, please don't give up hope, but don't expect as frequent updates as there will be right now.**_

 ** _Reviews are always welcome!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

 _Happy holidays everyone! One for WaW_ AND _CAS! How's that for a present?_

 _For those of you who have not read CAS, I will be posting lore discrepancies or explanations after the chapter to avoid spoilers (and to not bore you non-loremongers) and announcements up above._

 _If, for some reason, something happens to my account, I'm letting you guys know that I will be reposting this and CAS probably on Archive of Our Own. The switch won't happen unless something happens to my account here, so don't go looking for this or me anywhere else! I don't think anything will happen, but I was rereading FanFiction's policy and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging if something happened because of certain themes in CAS._

 _I hope you all are spending a wonderful time with your families! And if not, I hope you're having an awesome time with yourself! I know things can get rough around the holidays, and I want you guys to know that you're awesome and that, no matter what, you're not alone. I'm always here to talk, and so are others. Things may get tough, but it gets better, trust me._

 _I'll try to post another chapter before New Year's!_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

"So, the new girl..." Jenny began in a lowered tone, leaning over the counter, her arms folded. "The one from the Vault..." She addressed no one in particular among her patrons, though she did match her gaze with the one-eyed man sitting across from her at the bar. The sun had long passed over the town and was beginning to set in the west, casting its dying rays over the town and its inhabitants nestled in the crater and wreckage of a great, long-forgotten plane.

"You mean Alice?" Billy asked from beside Maggie, his adopted daughter.

The small girl piped up from her bowl of noodles. "I like her! She's nice!"

Her father tousled her hair. "She _is_ nice, Maggie." he smiled. A disgruntled simper crossed Jenny's face, most likely from a sudden surge of jealousy: it was no secret she and Billy shared a mutual attraction, though she seemed threatened by the young woman who had only been in town for not even half a day.

"I don't like the look of her," Andy grumbled, leaning against one of the pillars holding up the canopy above his patrons. "Vault dwellers are nothin' but privileged folk. They don't know anything about what it takes to _really_ survive out here."

"And what is that, Andy?" Lucas finally spoke, eyes raising from his simple meal of noodles. His son said nothing, he simply sat between his father and Maggie, exchanging a glance with his friend.

The redhaired man straightened up, matching the sheriff's stern gaze. "They're soft. They've had everything given to them on a silver platter. They don't know how to hunt, to fend for themselves, to _kill_."

"Now that's enough, Andy. No sense in talking like that in front of the kids." He placed his hand protectively over his daughter's shoulder, as if the simple action could shield her from the man's words.

"She's been asking questions." the man countered.

Jenny rolled her eyes, taking her admirer's side. "About her _father_ , Andy. There's no harm in a child looking for her father."

"All I'm saying is that it can only mean trouble." her brother continued, refusing to back down.

"And why is that?" Billy asked, taking the bait.

Andy narrowed his eyes. "One comin' out of that Vault is one thing, _two_ , now that's something else entirely. If you ask me, something is going on down there, and it ain't good. And we'll be the ones to feel it first, since they're right next to us."

Lucas couldn't deny Andy's skepticism. The first time he had encountered the residents of Vault 101, they had emerged as a pair, as a research team. This time, they were separate: a father on a mission and his daughter chasing after him. Whatever had happened down in the depths of the Vault, it could not be good, he had to agree with Andy, and they would most certainly feel the repercussions of their actions, regardless of their intentions.

Still, the young woman seemed to have a good heart: he recalled seeing her fixing the leaks in the pipes around town and she had offered to disarm the bomb in the center of their town... without pay. His eyes darted to his son, the boy simply sat and twirled his noodles round and round his fork. For his sake, Lucas hoped his hunch was correct.

"Not to mention that I saw her spending quite some time in Moriarty's place," he jabbed his thumb to indicate to the establishment towards the peak of the town. He lowered his voice as he spoke the second sentence, "That crazed bastard pisses in our still, I swear."

"Maybe she likes what she sees up there." Jenny suggested, smirking.

Maggie tugged at Billy's sleeve. "Does she mean the sign, Billy? How it's all shiny?" the girl asked quietly.

A look of horror passed over the man's face before he stated, "No, Maggie. I don't think that's what Jenny meant by that."

" _I_ directed her up there, Andy," Lucas sighed, growing tired of the man's doubt. "I told her I thought I saw her father head up there when he arrived."

"Still seems like trouble." the owner of the Brass Lantern grumbled.

"Either way, we'll manage. We always have." Lucas concluded, ending the debate.

The remainder of the meal was eaten in relative silence, save for Maggie's insistence on knowing exactly what Jenny had meant and Andy continuing to rant on about Moriarty's attempts to thwart their business. When the last rays of the sun had finally died and the only light spraying across the town was that from the strings of lights crisscrossing the town, Lucas led his son back to their home.

As they trekked up the steep hill, the man thought of what he might talk to his son about. "So ummm... I noticed Deputy Steel looking a bit shinier than usual. You polished him up, didn't you boy?" He shot a sidelong glance at his son, proud of the boy's work. "Good work, son. Good work."

"I just..." the boy shrugged. "you know. Wanted to help out."

"I know, Harden. I know," he smiled at his son. "You make me proud every day, son. What can I say, you're just like your dad!"

A look crossed over the boy's features. "You said we could take that trip. Up north, you know? To see one of the old towns?" The sheriff sighed at his son's reminder of one of the promises he had yet to fulfill to his boy. "Come on, dad, you promised..."

Lucas nodded as they reached their front door and feigned forgetfulness. "Oh man. I did say that, didn't I? Okay." His mind raced to come up with something. "Yeah, yeah we can do that. I've got some stuff to take care of, but after that, it's you and me! Okay, pal?"

His son jumped with excitement. "You're kidding, right? You mean it this time?" Lucas nodded. "For real?" He nodded again. "Great! Great, dad! I can't wait! Thanks!" He darted into the house, and in his fervor, he slammed the door in his father's laughing face.

The laughter died in his throat as the man's thoughts reeled. He had promised his son the trip, but he was not sure if it was even possible. Raiders and slavers and mutant creatures lined the roads and it would most definitely not be a safe trip. Perhaps if Harden was older, if he knew how to fire a weapon, and if the residents of Megaton could live together for five minutes without conflict breaking out, he could fulfill his promise... but none of those seemed to be coming true in the nearby future, except for Harden getting older.

Sighing, the man turned on his heel and began patrolling the town he called home, knowing he would not have much more time with his son during these precious years they had when he was still a child. Soon Harden would grow up and wander as Lucas himself had, eventually finding a place to settle down... if something did not tie him to Megaton already. He silently hoped the boy's friendship with Maggie would blossom into something more, in time of course, at least then he would still be able to see his son and spend time with him.

"Excuse me, Sheriff," a voice scattered the man's thoughts to the wind.

Even in the dark of night, his eyes caught sight of the vibrant blue and yellow jumpsuit and Lucas recognized the fair-skinned brunette. "Alice..." his eyes shifted to the enormous bomb in the center of town. He snorted, "Don't suppose you've disarmed that bomb?"

She shook her head, but a serious expression caught the sheriff's attention. "I met a man named Burke. He said he'd pay me to rig the bomb to explode."

Surprise was quickly overtaken by a smoldering anger. "He said what?! Oh, I never did like the look of him..." He gnashed his teeth together and his eyes flashed to Moriarty's Saloon.

"He gave me this Fusion Pulse Charge to rig the bomb. Here, take it." She offered him the dangerous device: a steel box upon a metal plate, three wires running out of one of its sides.

"Jesus! Gimme that thing," he snatched it out of Alice's hands and jammed it into his pack. Eyes returning to the saloon, he snarled, "Let's go find this Burke character. You're about to get an education in Wasteland justice." He whipped out his trusty rifle and charged down the hill, taking a left up the ramp as he passed the dreaded bomb. He continued traveling up through the town, the young woman in tow. Finally, they reached the saloon.

He burst through the door of the saloon, ignoring the Irishman's protests from behind the bar, Lucas whirled around until his sights were set on his target: Mister Burke. Rifle held steady, Lucas growled, "You there! Burke! Explain your business in Megaton."

The man in the white suit lifted his head from his drink and smiled from behind his sunglasses. "I'm sorry? Sheriff, what are you hollering about?"

Lucas didn't buy the act. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. The bomb! You're trying to blow it up! Have you lost your goddamned mind?"

"Sheriff," his eyes rested momentarily on the young woman beside the sheriff. "I'm afraid there's been a... misunderstanding. Someone surely has been spreading rumors. I'll be sure to address the situation... personally."

"I'm placing you under arrest, Burke. At least until I figure out what the hell's going on around here." The sheriff would not hear the man's words.

"And _I'm_ afraid I won't be able to oblige your request, Sheriff," the man in white snarled, rising to his feet. "I have pressing matters to attend to. Now... step aside." A cold fury flashed behind the man's eyes.

The sheriff kept his rifle trained on the man. "This isn't open to discussion! You're coming with me."

"Why do you knuckle draggers always insist on doing things the hard way," he queried. Still, he resigned. "Very well, Sheriff. Lead the way."

Lucas turned his back on the man and holstered his rifle, confident the man would stay true to his word.

All he heard was a sickening _crunch_.

"Argh!" he heard Mister Burke grunt in pain. As Lucas turned around, he saw the man in white stagger backwards into the table which held his drink. He held a hand to the side of his head... his other held a silenced 10mm pistol. Alice stood over the man, a bloody baseball bat raised above her head. She brought it down on the man before he could react.

Lucas brandished his rifle once again, aiming carefully to avoid hitting his comrade, and shot a few bullets into the man's shoulder who had almost killed him.

"I just had this suit tailored!" the man in white complained.

Alice cracked her weapon over the man's head one final time before he fell limp and dead on the saloon floor.

As Moriarty began screaming something about the young woman killing one of his patrons and getting blood all over the metal floor, Lucy, Nova, and Gob stared horrified at the blood-and-brain-spattered scene before them.

But Lucas was staring at the young woman.

She turned to the sheriff, her hazel eyes clouded with distress.

Perhaps Andy was right about one thing: Vault dwellers did not know how to kill... without feeling remorse.

* * *

 _ **I am assuming Lucas was around when the first round of Vault 101 residents came to town, not necessarily the sheriff, but that he knew of them.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading guys! I really appreciate you guys reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 _I hope you guys don't mind the style of writing I'm testing out, let me know what you guys think by reviewing or sending me a message! I read every single one and try to take constructive criticism to heart, I know my writing can be improved._

 _Due to the nature of Fallout 3, I will not be placing warnings for drug use._

 ** _This chapter was supposed to be way longer but I decided to stop making you guys wait and post a little less than half of what I had written (I chose the best stopping point). I will post the rest once I finish it, but..._**

 _Classes are starting up again this upcoming Tuesday so don't expect a lot of updates over the course of the semester, but I'll do my best to write when I can._

 _Finally, in my excitement, I forgot to mention a few things. I've added them to the beginning of the first chapter, as well as here for those of you who don't want to scroll back (like me)._

 **Disclaimer : **_**I DO NOT OWN FALLOUT OR THE FALLOUT UNIVERSE! THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!**_

 **Summary** **:** Alice Catherine Vann has lived in Vault 101 all her life. It isn't until that fateful day she is torn from everything she knows and is thrown into the real world. She will encounter friends, enemies, and will come to realize what love truly is. Told from the perspectives of those she crosses paths with. **WARNING: Contains graphic violence, abuse, and f/f relationships. Don't like, don't read.**

 **Rating** **:** Rated M for depictions of graphic violence, physical and sexual abuse, and female/female relationships which may or may not also contain sexual scenes. I will do my best to clearly mark if the chapter contains allusions to such content, or clearly mark where graphic content starts and ends. **EXCEPTION: Fallout is a very violent world. As such, I will not mark or explicitly indicate chapters containing graphic violence if they do not contain sexual abuse. I am assuming those of you who have played the game are the ones reading, so you know what to expect in the universe, and brains being splattered all over the walls is no surprise to you via Wasteland Justice.** You've been warned. By proceeding, you agree that you are of 18 years or older and do not have an issue with this.

 **Pairings** **:** Lone Wanderer and Amata Almodovar, Lone Wanderer and Sarah Lyons.

 **Cover Image** **:** I own the image. I took it in-game and modified it to suit my purposes.

 _As a head's up, I'm taking the liberty with a few things, most notably, I am giving Sarah more face-time: she will be more involved in the Lone Wanderer's quest (how else are they supposed to fall in love?), but I will try my best to keep her, and everyone else, in character._

 _I will also be posting mods I am referencing in the story at the end of each chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

"Colvin, do we have a visual, over?" peering around the corner of the building, the senior ranking officer asked the sniper over the radio.

The blonde man, located several meters away and taking cover behind a rusted car, gazed down his sights before replying, "Targets confirmed: the Uglies are here, by my count, five, over."

"Copy that, over." the Sentinel turned and gazed over her squad. Her eyes immediately snapped to one of the newest in her group: Initiate Jennings, laying down on the makeshift stretcher they had made, comprised of a mattress and two, long two-by-four's.

The strawberry blonde had lost a lot of blood, and despite Paladin Kodiak's efforts, the woman in charge knew he did not have long. His armor had been punctured in several places and his chest cavity had been caved in before it had been blasted open, that's what happens when you charge a shotgun-armed Super Mutant. The young woman still had no idea why her father insisted on allowing Wastelanders an opportunity to join them. Most of the time, they were not even worth their time; and even when they were, they never lasted long enough to run with the Pride. They were better off either staying home or training with Paladin Gunny, not trying to measure their dicks with the professionals.

Still, they had a job to do, and whether or not Jennings or Reddin made it out, was not her concern.

"Gallows, report, over." the Sentinel ordered.

"Got Uglies in the building across from the alley, over." the stealth expert's gruff voice growled into the radio.

Silently cursing to herself, the blonde spoke into the radio again. "Alleyway's status, over?"

"Standby, over," there was a brief pause before his voice sounded again. "Alley is clear... Early Dawn Elementary is crawling with Uglies, over."

"Do you think you could manage to get Colvin, Kodiak, and Jennings into the alley, over?"

Gallows was silent for a moment. "Yes, ma'am, over."

"Copy that, rendezvous at our location, over."

"Lyons?" Another man asked over his speaker, gaining the attention of his superior.

The woman turned to her second-in-command. "Yes, Vargas?"

"What's the plan, ma'am?" the older man inquired.

In an instant, Gallows reappeared. Taking a mental count of everyone and was satisfied all eight of her squadmates were accounted for, she outlined the plan. "Gallows will lead Colvin, Kodiak, and Jennings to the alley. Once there, Kodiak and Gallows will do everything they can to tend to Jennings while Colvin will take out as many of the Uglies in the school as he can before we meet up with them. The rest of us will catch these guys by surprise and meet up at the checkpoint, the alley, when they're all eliminated. Are we clear?"

There was a series of nods and "Yes ma'am"'s.

"Good, on my mark." Lyons held her laser rifle at the ready. She sucked in a breath and released it through her mouth, silently calming herself down. Her team had to perform, had to do their job, and quickly. Their brothers at the GNR building depended on them. They were so close, yet not close enough. They had to move fast. They had to go. _Now._

She opened her mouth to give the order, when a loud, furious voice snarled out, "LITTLE HUMIES!"

Fear running up her spine, Lyons spoke into the radio. "Engage, over!"

A hail of bullets zoomed over Colvin's head. Lyons jumped forward, rifle up, and navigated around the debris of concrete, rebar, and glass, searching for her targets. She opted to hang a left, taking the high ground instead of traveling into the gutted building and beneath the enemies: the Sentinel preferred a vantage point over the chance of surprising an Ugly... or being surprised by one.

"Civvie on 42nd! Civvie on 42nd, over!" Dusk's voice rang out clear over the radio.

"Watch your fire," Lyons ordered, counting their enemies, checking Colvin's count. There were only five this time, as he stated earlier: two armed with HK-47 rifles, two armed with nail boards, and one more armed with a gatling gun. "Dusk, is the civilian hostile, over?"

"Injured party in the alleyway, over!" Kodiak reported.

The senior ranking officer lined up her sights with the Ugly wielding a gatling gun. "Acknowledged, over." Lyons took several shots at the mutant.

"What's a civvie doing here? Did they blow our cover, over?" Glade inquired.

"Looks that way, over." Vargas stated, his voice dripping with vexation.

"Civilian seems non-hostile. They are wearing a blue jumpsuit, armed with an automatic rifle. I don't think they've seen us yet, over." Dusk continued once the radio waves were clear.

As the creature shouted something indiscernible and set its eyes on her, Lyons ducked for cover behind a pillar. Bullets smashed into the column, splattering chunks of concrete away and around her. The woman turned towards 42nd, searching for the blue jumpsuit. Her eyes immediately found it, running into the small, one-man shelter. "Civilian is secured in the preservation shelter. Continue the assault, over."

The hail of bullets ceased and Lyons popped out of cover, opening fire once she saw the target. One of her comrades had also found the mutant and, despite its efforts, it was no match for two streams of laser projectiles. It fell, dead, and Lyons moved on in search of another target.

"That's all of them, over." came Vargas' voice.

"Copy that, over," the Sentinel jogged down the slope, holstering her rifle and dreading what was to happen next.

"That's how we do it in the Lyons' Pride, you fucking freaks!" Reddin screamed into the air over her speaker.

Lyons gritted her teeth, pissed, the girl would give their position away. Vargas reprimanded her before Lyons could open her mouth. "Initiate! Shut it! You'll have your fill of death soon enough."

Reddin looked down, ashamed, "Uh... Yessir. Sorry, Brother."

When she passed her second-in-command, she heard him mutter into his speaker, "Scared, stupid kid."

As she reached the preservation shelter, Lyons asked Dusk, "Is this the idiot who threw our ambush?"

Dusk nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Must be a tourist." came Vargas' disgusted mutter out of his speaker, loud enough for the civilian to hear.

Lyons strode forward, jaw locked in annoyance, and pressed the button to open the shelter.

She came face to face with the barrel of a rifle.

* * *

 ** _I am assuming the radio the Brotherhood members use is located in each Brotherhood Recon Armor neck piece and is accessed via either placing your fingers below your jaw (as if testing for a pulse on your jugular) if you are wearing Recon Armor only or by pressing a button located inside the collar of the Power Armor. Why? I would assume the Brotherhood is smart enough to wire it into the Armor itself instead of relying on the helmet, which some Brotherhood members seem to forgo (which doesn't make sense, so they are ALL wearing their helmets)._**

 ** _In addition, I am assuming the Recon Armor_ MUST _be worn underneath the Power Armor in order to wear the Power Armor (that is its original purpose anyway: as an under-armor). This includes to wear the helmet. So all of the scenes we see Brotherhood members in Power Armor, yet without helmets, they should have the Recon Armor Helmet on at least (I am assuming that is how they hear the communication over the radio in the first place). However, I would also assume the Recon Armor may be worn without the Recon Helmet, but will obviously not have the communication capabilities unless the helmet is worn._**

 ** _I am also assuming each Brotherhood member has some kind of training in field medicine. Also, I'm taking some liberty in Sarah's backstory, but I am sticking to specific details as outlined in the game itself, the Fallout wiki, as well as the Fallout Gamepedia._**

 ** _It doesn't make sense that the whole force of the Lyons' Pride isn't present to provide backup for GNR. Sure, it might be a little overkill to send in the whole team of the best of the best, but its their outpost in the downtown D.C. ruins: they need it. And it doesn't make sense as to why they would be split up. Even if they were to split up, Vargas is the second-in-command and it would make sense for him to be in charge of the second fireteam, yet he is with Sarah. Therefore, the gang is all here for this chapter._**

 ** _Finally, Sarah's under-armor will be none other than the_ BABE Recon Armor _by SPARTAN VI located on the Fallout 3 Nexus. It's super awesome and you should check it out if you haven't already._**

 ** _Thanks guys for reading! I'll try to post the rest of the scene in a new chapter sometime in the next few weeks; but again, classes are starting. Don't forget to review!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

 _I'm back! Sorry, the semester was rife with personal problems._

* * *

Immediately, she grasped the barrel and shoved it up, forcing it to fire into the air and over her team. A young woman's scream and a storm of bullets filled Lyons' ears. The terrified, young woman did not stop her assault until her clip was empty.

She stared at the Sentinel with hazel eyes wide and her chest heaving. Her hair, the color of dark rust, was disheveled: dirty and sticking up and out of her long, high ponytail. Dirt smeared over her pretty, well-defined features, most notably on her high cheekbones. Her black eyeliner had run, down her fair-skinned cheeks in lines, as if she had been crying, but her bright red lipstick drew the most attention, centering the eyes on her perfect, white teeth. She looked quite young, sixteen, perhaps, making her about ten years younger than Lyons herself.

The older woman glanced down at the younger woman's attire: a close-fitting, form-complementing, blue leather jumpsuit with a yellow collar and zipper and "101" emblazoned on the left side of the high collar. From what she had seen of similar jumpsuits, she assumed the same number was printed on the girl's back. However, the suit was augmented with a single, black, steel pauldron on the girl's left shoulder, leather pouches wrapped around her slim waist, a shoulderpad upon her right upper arm, a kneepad on her right knee, and a bandolier slung across her chest. She carried two rectangular bags on her back, filled to the point the zippers were almost bursting. A bloody baseball bat stuck out one of the bags' sides while a switchblade hung at her left side, a N99 in pristine condition was holstered on the opposite hip. The rifle, still hot from its barrage, was nothing more than a simple hunting rifle; yet the girl clutched onto it for dear life.

Overall, Lyons deduced she was not fit to traverse the downtown D.C. ruins. Too much about her screamed "amateur": improper attire, weapons, and she was definitely _too_ young. Still, she was here... and Lyons had to deal with it. Eyes glancing back to the number on the civilian, Lyons realized just where she had come from, she had seen the number in the exact same text on the orange grid back at the Citadel enough times to know this girl was a Vault Dweller. The device on her arm confirmed it: a Pip-Boy 3000.

Satisfied the girl would not try to attack her again, Lyons finally spoke through her helmet's speaker. "Look, I don't know who you are, but you don't belong here," her voice betrayed her annoyance and Lyons thought she should adopt a more friendly tone, but she ignored the urge. "The Super Mutants have overrun our brothers at the Galaxy New Radio building, and we're headed there to back them up." She threw the barrel back at the girl. "You can tag along if you want. But keep your head down and try not to do anything... stupid." She turned around and began issuing orders through the speaker. "Let's get back to the checkpoint, see if Colvin has finished clearing the street."

"Reddin on me," Vargas called to the new recruit, "You're doing fine. Just follow my lead. No dead heroes today, okay?"

"Thanks for the assist," a voice murmured incredulously and Lyons looked to see the girl walking beside her. "I didn't know this place was so dangerous."

Lyons rolled her eyes and spoke before she could bite it back, "This is D.C. The entire city is crawling with Super Mutants. Now if you'll excuse me." She lengthened her stride, attempting to put as much distance between them before the girl asked another stupid question.

"Wait," the girl hurried to catch up, somehow matching Lyons' steps despite the girl's shorter legs. "Who the hell are you people?"

"I'm Sentinel Lyons of the Lyons' Pride. With the Brotherhood of Steel."

"I'm Alice Catherine Vann." the girl stated before Lyons could finish her thought. She had stepped in front of the taller woman and held out her hand... as if she wanted her to shake it.

The Sentinel stopped and returned the greeting, surprised by the girl's formalities... but then again, she was a Vault Dweller. When the girl stepped aside, Lyons continued speaking and walking, "Don't worry. We're on your side. At least I hope so." Her eyes glanced back to the girl beside her. She was pretty, if a little inexperienced; and with her slim, well-toned, hell-of-a figure, Lyons knew she wouldn't last long in the ruins nor in the Wasteland. Maybe if she ditched the skin-tight leather in favor of baggy clothes, she might stand a chance. But that pretty face... that would still get her noticed, especially with that ridiculous lipstick.

Reaching the party of four, Lyons approached the sniper and spoke quietly, "What's the situation?"

"All clear, Sentinel," was his reply, "Six mutants released from their torment. The rest are keeping their heads down."

Lyons nodded in approval. "Good." Eyes darting to the still form on the mattress, she asked Vargas, "Jennings?"

The man shook his head and sighed, "Negative."

As if attempting to lighten the mood, Colvin turned to the girl, "A new recruit?"

Shaking her head, the Sentinel simply said, "Just a stray we picked up. The one that blundered into the Uglies on 42nd."

"Welcome," Colvin greeted Vann warmly, "You don't need to worry. You're with friends now. We'll see you safely through."

"Thank you, sir." the girl smiled.

Lyons took charge, "All right. It's the usual drill. Reddin, you just do whatever Paladin Vargas says and keep your mouth shut."

"Yes, ma'am." the Wastelander said, dejected.

The Sentinel gazed over the battlefield. Cars would provide cover, but there was a large clearing between the cars and the school building. They would need to be careful. "The outpost is just to the south of us. Colvin, you're the eyes. Dusk, back him up. Glade, Vargas, Reddin, secure the building. Gallows, Kodiak, provide covering fire. Vann," she turned to the Vault Dweller, "keep your head down."

She heard Colvin whisper to the girl, "Come with me if you like. We'll have the best view." Vann followed, much to Lyons' chagrin, but at least she would be out of her hair for the time being.

Lyons took position behind a car and waited for Colvin to report. Her team dug into their positions, waiting for the order.

"I'm in position, over." Colvin stated.

"And, over?"

"This looks like the main force. Many tormented souls will meet the Maker today. I will pray for forgiveness, over."

"Okay. We'll flush them out, you pick them off. On my mark, over." Lyons steadied her rifle on the hood of the car, poking her head up just barely to set her eyes on a target.

"Roger that. Uglies in our sight, over." Vargas replied.

A wild screech sounded in Lyons' ears. Her eyes snapped towards the sound: Vann sprinted towards the building, firing her rifle into the Super Mutants.

 _Shit._

"Go!" Lyons ordered.

Lasers and bullets sprayed everywhere. Lyons ducked down behind the car and the clinking of bullets threatened to pierce through the ancient metal. She needed to move. The Sentinel dove to the side and the car exploded in a fury. She did not turn around to gawk at the mushroom cloud rising from the nuclear reactor inside the vehicle. Instead, she set her eyes forward and searched for the stupid girl. A blaze of blue cracked into a Super Mutant's brain and flitted into the building.

"Damn it," Every fiber of her being told her not to.

Her better judgement screamed at her to run for cover.

She knew she shouldn't do it, but she did anyway.

She spoke into the radio. "I'm going in, over!" If there were any protests from her team, they kept them silent. She charged forward and followed Vann into the school. The deep laughter of Super Mutants reached her ears and Lyons darted into a corner to avoid receiving a head full of spraying lead. She heard Vann screaming bloody murder somewhere above her, as if the girl was being eviscerated with a dull, rusty knife.

Lyons cursed herself and moved toward the sound. "Damn girl."

"I SEE you!"

Lyons dove to the side, the super sledge whizzing over her. She flipped herself onto her back, and saw the Super Mutant raise his weapon over his head to smash it into her chest. As she aimed from the hip and squeezed the trigger, a furious scream sounded over her and a whirl of blue jumped onto the enemy. The sudden attack sent the mutant reeling and falling and he desperately attempted to claw at his back, trying to remove the girl on him; thankfully, his thick arms were too big to allow him such flexibility.

As they fell towards the ground, the girl repeatedly stabbed her switchblade into the mutant's face, attacking wildly and at whatever she could hit. Lyons stopped firing, both afraid she would hit the brunette and realizing just what was happening to the girl. Alice's own face was distorted into a rabid snarl, her lip curled up and over her teeth and her eyes crazed with rage. She attacked with a ferocious speed, while the fingers on her left hand managed to push themselves into the Super Mutant's eye socket.

Lurching forward, threatening to crush Lyons beneath his wake, the mutant began to fall. The Sentinel rolled out of the way and sprang onto her feet with surprising agility. Vann never stopped her onslaught.

The mutant was dead before he hit the ground.

The rust-haired girl jumped up and whirled around, searching for a target. She sprinted off, and that was when Lyons noticed she had discarded her belongings somewhere: the girl was armed with nothing but a knife and wearing only the clothes on her back. Rediverting her focus to dragging the stupid girl to safety, Lyons followed Vann through the school.

"OW!" another mutant cried. As Lyons rounded the corner, she saw Vann nearly tackle the tower of flesh to the ground before proceeding to disembowel the brute.

 _Frenzied attacks, incredible strength and speed, burning rage_ , Lyons nodded to herself and made a mental note to check the girl's bag before she left, provided she did not go into shock... or cardiac arrest.

Another mutant came into view and raised his sledgehammer to smash the girl on top of his comrade. Lyons lifted her weapon and shot several lasers into the mutant's skull before it could complete its act. It fell with a thunderous crash and the stupid girl raised her head from her work, turning and twisting with such speed, Lyons almost thought she would throw out her hip. The girl seemed to notice Lyons for the first time and rushed towards her, knife raised.

Lyons immediately threw her to the ground and with a swift punch to the wrist, disarmed the girl.

But that didn't stop her.

Vann threw her arms out, fingers latching onto Lyons' collar and scrabbling for something to tear into. All the while, she was screaming, snarling, mouth foaming.

The blonde's superior strength, augmented by her armor, was just barely enough to shove the girl off balance. Lyons took the opportunity and slammed the younger girl onto her stomach and into the ground, pinning the girl's arms behind her back.

"Lyons, status, over?" came Vargas' voice over the radio.

"Damn civvie is all chemed up. Everyone, move into the school and secure it. First two rooms are clear, over." the Sentinel replied.

"Yes, ma'am, over."

Heavy, metal footsteps clanged through the building, moving quickly as her squad popped in and out of each room. The sound was barely audible over Vann's shrieks of rage. Despite her less than ideal position, she still squirmed against her captor, her fingernails scratching uselessly against the metal armor on top of her.

Lyons dug into her own rucksack with her free hand, searching for the blue and yellow tin. The footsteps darted past her, all other members of her squad passing the pair. One, most likely Colvin, dropped the girl's bags beside his superior. Two others stopped, observing. Lyons already knew who the duo comprised of. "Looks like Psycho, over." she said to her lieutenant.

"Three doses of Fixer, one Psycho, one Buffout, over." he suggested, voicing her thoughts.

"Roger that, over." With a flick of her head, she ordered them to move up as she finally found what she was looking for. Shoving three tablets of the medicine down the girl's throat, Lyons continued to administer the injections of drugs she had located in the girl's bag. After a few moments, the girl finally stilled.

"School secure, moving into GNR Plaza. Providing support to our brothers, over." Vargas reported.

Lyons released Vann. "Copy, Oscar Mike, over." She watched in silence as the girl sat up, holding her head in her hands.

"Wha-what happened?" Vann asked, her face pale, as if a wave of nausea came over her.

The Sentinel held up the dirty needle. "Psycho. Don't take it again. You're lucky you didn't die." She threw the used chem to the side, disgusted. It seemed the Wasteland was already corrupting the girl.

"I-I thought that was a Stimpak!"

Lyons rolled her eyes and confiscated the other drugs in Vann's pack. "Anything that looks like this," she held up the drugs: Psycho, Buffout, Jet, Mentats, Hydra, Med-X. The girl was a walking chem lab for Steel's sake. " _Don't_ take it. Or anything else you don't know what it is."

The stupid girl nodded profusely.

"Can you walk?"

Again, she nodded.

"Good. Get up." Lyons did not wait for her. She had a job to do, and it sure as hell wasn't to cure a junkie's addiction. She heard the other girl stumbling after her, falling and running into the concrete walls.

By the time they reached the plaza, the last Super Mutant fell. Lyons quickly surveyed the battlefield. Already, Dusk and Glade began collecting their fallen brothers and their tags; Colvin, Gallows, and Kodiak leant aid to the injured; and Vargas and Reddin spoke to one another a ways away from the fountain.

Lyons sighed, they had finally made it. "Vargas, Reddin, sweep the area, over."

"Copy, over."

"Thanks, for... helping me back there... _again_." Vann's voice diverted the Sentinel's attention.

"Just don't make it a habit, we won't always be there to save your ass." Lyons tried to not sound _too_ condescending.

The girl half-laughed. "Yeah..." She opened her mouth to say something else, but a great bellow tore through the air, silencing everyone.

Lyons snapped her head in the direction. She knew what was coming. A flash of armor bolted towards the sound emanating from behind a wall of cars. A cold pit formed in her stomach when she realized just who had stepped into danger.

"Reddin!" Vargas shouted, desperate, but made no move to inch closer to his own doom.

A flash of white light filled Lyons' vision and the booming explosion rang in her ears. She blinked, several times, attempting to clear her blurred vision. Finally, the behemoth came into view, its massive figure nearly three times the size of any man. Human skulls hung around its neck and waist, forming macabre adornments. The bumper of a car had been strapped to its left arm, while it held a fire hydrant mace-like weapon in its opposite hand. Its face was permanently frozen into a sneer.

"Open fire!" she ordered over her speaker and radio. As she took aim at the beast, a blaze of blue moved out of the corner of her eye. "Get the Fat Man! We'll try to keep him busy!" she commanded Vann.

The behemoth swung its weapon at Vargas, sending him flying towards the staircase leading up to the GNR building. It focused its attention on the next closest target: Lyons. With startling speed, it charged forward with thundering footsteps, weapon raised above its head, poised to strike.

Blue was suddenly beside her, and Lyons turned, intuitively. The girl had armed herself with the nuclear weapon, and slammed a mini-nuke into the barrel. Eyes widening, Lyons had forgotten the girl had probably no idea just how dangerous the weapon was.

As the girl squeezed the trigger, Lyons rushed forward.

The mini-nuke soared through the air, Lyons collided with Vann.

Lyons tackled the girl to the ground, the mini-nuke impacted against the behemoth.

Lyons covered the girl as best she could, the mini-nuke detonated.

An earth-shattering roar filled all Lyons' senses and she heard a Geiger counter tick to life. As the surge of light faded, Lyons reacted quickly. She scooped the girl into her arms, dashed forward until the ticking ceased, and administered RadAway to the rust-haired girl.

"Behemoth down!" one of her squadmates declared.

Lyons was too occupied with treating the ignorant Vault Dweller. The girl had received a busted lip and a bloody nose, most likely endured from Lyons' sudden impact, but otherwise, she seemed fine. Just to be safe, Lyons injected the girl with another dose of RadAway. "What the hell were you thinking, firing at such a short distance?"

Vann narrowed her eyes at the older girl. The Vault Dweller raised her voice in protest. "I was saving your life!"

"You could have killed us! If I wasn't wearing this Power Armor, we'd both be dead!" Lyons felt her face flush with anger.

"Well, it's a good thing you are then, isn't it? Maybe you should tell me how the goddamn weapon works before ordering me to use it!"

The Sentinel tore off her helmet, exasperated. "The damn mini-nuke looks like a warhead, what more do you want?!"

Vann froze, staring.

"What?" Lyons snapped.

The younger girl blinked out of her stupor and averted her eyes. "I was just..." she paused.

"What?!"

Vann quietly replied, "There really is a human underneath there..."

Lyons fell silent, stunned. "I..." she struggled to find words to speak. "I suppose its easy to mistake us for robots or something..." It never occured to her to think their presence might terrify the very people they were aiding.

"Who did you say you were again?" the younger girl asked, gazing up at the blonde.

The Sentinel stood up straight. "The name's Sarah Lyons, Sentinel and squad commander of the Lyons' Pride. We're with the Brotherhood of Steel. We do our best to hold back the Super Mutants in this area. But when civilians stumble into our sights, that gets a bit difficult. Doesn't it?" She realized she had adopted her condescending tone only after she had spoke.

Vann laughed it off. "Yeah! You guys don't screw around!"

"I'll take that as a compliment. If we don't try to keep the mutants from killing everyone and everything in the Capital Wasteland, who will? The Brotherhood does its best, but sometime's it takes a little something... special. That's where the Lyons' Pride comes in." Lyons spoke with pride, her team was the cream of the crop; something she herself ensured.

"You guys aren't looking for recruits, are you?" the girl teased, smirking.

Lyons shook her head. "That's a negative. We've got too many local conscripts as it is. Most are undertrained and too damned trigger happy for their own good. You can handle yourself, I'll give you that. But let's not get carried away."

"Well, I'll take _that_ as a compliment," Vann's imitation of Lyons' previous comment sent the older girl blushing, flustered, and speechless. No one mocked Sarah Lyons. The younger girl laughed again at the other girl's expense. Before the Sentinel could muster up a response, Vann had already moved on. "Galaxy News Radio... what can you tell me about it?"

"There aren't a lot of safe places in the ruins right now, but the Galaxy News Radio building is sort of our port in the storm," Lyons explained. "Unfortunately, the building's been hit pretty hard lately. We're their backup. The Brotherhood needed a secure outpost, and the guy who runs the radio station needed to not get his head ripped off by Super Mutants. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Three Dog is the man in charge. He keeps that signal broadcasting, pretty much single handedly. He's um... interesting. I'll give him that much." Lyons recalled the last conversation she had had with the strange man: it had ended with Lyons slightly irritated and Three Dog grinning like... well, a dog.

"I should probably head on up," Vann nodded. "Thanks for all of your help, and... I'm sorry about Reddin."

"She died well. In the end, that's all that really matters." Lyons spoke matter-of-factly.

There was a solemn pause between the pair. It was Vann who broke the silence. "Well, if I don't see you, take care. But if I do, just know the tables'll turn: next time, _I'll_ be the one to save _your_ ass!" She winked, smirking.

Lyons rolled her eyes. "I doubt it."

"Goodbye, Lyons." the younger girl held out her hand.

"Watch yourself out there. The Wasteland is a dangerous place." she shook her hand and watched as the girl bounded up the steps to the building.

Vargas approached his superior once more, "God dammit!" he cursed.

Lyons did not turn towards him. "It's not your fault, Vargas. Reddin was good enough for the Pride, and she proved it here today."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, his voice heavy with melancholy. "God DAMMIT!"

"When we get back to the Citadel, I'll talk to the scribes. Let it be chronicled that Paladin Reddin passed her test." she recited from memory.

"Come on. Let's see if they've got anything to drink in this dump."

"Yeah." Lyons only half-listened, still staring after the strange girl, before muttering, "Damn girl won't last another day."

* * *

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed this much needed chapter! I hope to update again sometime next week!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 _Sorry guys, need to work on time management this summer._

* * *

Thick, heavy, leather boots thudded against the metal flooring. Each step sent another creak and groan through the city. Despite the architectural protests, the man strode through the halls of his city, not even considering one day the ancient, rusted metal beneath his feet might betray him and send him to a watery grave.

There were more important things to consider. The safety of the city being a top priority. He roamed the halls, striding with conviction. His thumbs running over the Type 93 in his hands, he looped through the corridors and slowly traversed his way to the marketplace. He left no room unturned, no passageway left unchecked: he took his time, carefully picking his way through the city in the early hours of the morning.

By the time he reached the door to the marketplace, his watch read 07:00, as it did every morning. He spun the cumbersome wheel counterclockwise with ease and pushed the metal door inward. Padding down the stairs, he nodded in greeting to the man behind the diner counter.

"Mornin', Chief Harkness," the man placed a mug of coffee onto the bar for his patron, who noticed the circles under the proprietor's eyes seemed to grow darker every day. "The usual?"

"Sounds good, Gary." the security chief nodded, sliding onto the barstool across from the mug. Harkness peered into his cup: black coffee. He did not smile, though he did nod silently, grateful to the man who knew him all too well. He waited patiently, wrapping his hands around the steaming mug and looking forward to spending the remainder of the morning over his breakfast.

As the self-proclaimed gourmet chef prepared a batch of Mirelurk cakes, a female cleared her throat beside the officer. "Chief Harkness, we need to go over these security reports."

Harkness pulled the cup towards him and brought it to his lips. "First thing tomorrow, Danvers." he promised... as he did every morning when his second-in-command returned from the night shift.

"Yes, sir." she took a seat beside her superior.

"The usual?" Gary inquired, placing the fried cakes in front of the chief.

"Yeah."

As Harkness lifted his fork and knife to eat, he noticed another woman approach the establishment. A white cloth was wrapped across her forehead and she wore a dirty white tank top, brown cargo pants, and brown boots. It was Mei.

"And you?" the older man asked his newest customer.

"Could I have some iguana bits and a Nuka-Cola, please?" the shy girl requested, sliding a few caps onto the counter.

Gary nodded and turned back to the stove. "Sure thing."

"Good morning, Mei." Harkness nodded to the woman.

She almost flinched at the man's voice, whirling to see who had greeted her, eyes filled with terror. When she realized the man was not a threat, her shoulders slumped in relief. "Good morning, Chief."

"You're among friends here." he reassured her.

"Thank you, Chief," she nodded, it was then he noticed her hands were shaking, "I'm terrified that... _he_ will recognize me. I hope he leaves soon."

Harkness knew exactly who the woman was referring to. "Don't worry. This is my city: so long as I'm here, you're under my protection."

Before she could reply, Gary slid a plate and a glass bottle to the girl. She muttered an apology before scurrying off to a dark corner of the marketplace with her food.

"Lady friend of yours?" Danvers asked, raising an eyebrow.

Taking another sip of coffee, Harkness simply stated, "Just another citizen of Rivet City who needs protection."

"You mean, _your_ protection."

Harkness did not bother refuting her supposed observation, he knew she would continue her insistence regardless of what he said. Instead, he continued his breakfast.

"Chief Harkness?" the radio sprang to life upon the security officers' shoulders as the male voice spoke.

Swallowing his bite of Mirelurk, Harkness pressed the reply button. "Go ahead, Davis."

"There's a man requesting for bridge extension."

"A newcomer?" Danvers asked, replying into her own radio.

"Looks like it. Never seen 'im before."

Harkness sighed. In the months he had resided in Rivet City, he had never had his breakfast interrupted. "Copy, on my way." The man stood and slid a few caps onto the counter. "Thanks, Gary."

"Anytime, Chief."

"Need some backup?" Danvers asked.

The security chief considered her offer for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Danvers, get some rest. I can handle this guy."

"Yes, sir."

Spinning on his heel, Harkness marched to the city gates. The brisk morning air slapped the man in the face, waking him up more than his coffee had. Across the river, he spied the man requesting access to the city: a small blip of blue. Davis stood by the control panel, at the ready. The superior officer nodded. "Extend the bridge." As the bridge swung out for the newcomer, Harkness readied his rifle: you could never be too careful with Wastelanders. The man approached, almost running.

"He's in a hurry." Davis muttered.

Harkness silently agreed with his subordinate, but instead ordered, "Rifle up, I'll do the talking."

"Yessir."

The security chief narrowed his eyes, assessing the newcomer as he approached. The blue of his outfit stood out first. His hair was a dark reddish brown, speckled with gray. The glint of a pistol shone at his hip.

"That's close enough." the security chief growled, flashing his weapon.

The man in blue slowed, raising his hands. "Please, I need to get into Rivet City."

"Is that so," Harkness asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "A lot of people want to get into town. What makes you _so_ important?" The security chief was not about to let some strange man walk into _his_ city, not without a valid reason.

"It is of vital importance I speak with Doctor Li."

 _Doctor Li?_ the security chief considered the claim. The man did not look like a scientist, no lab coat, no briefcase. Hell, it looked like he didn't have anything to his name save for the odd jumpsuit on his back and the pistol. Harkness quickly thought of who might know of Doctor Li. Not many, and a common Wastelander would not know of her or that she may have resided in Rivet City. That left two options: either he was a friend of Doctor Li's, or he was an enemy.

"Is she expecting you?" he inquired.

The man shook his head. "No. I haven't seen her in... quite some time."

Harkness made a decision. "What's your name?"

"James. Dr. James Vann." the man stood up straighter, proud of his title.

"Run down to her lab, see if she knows this guy," the superior officer ordered Davis, keeping his eyes on James. As his subordinate scurried off, Harkness continued his questioning. "A doctor, huh?"

"Yes. I practice medicine and pursue other scientific endeavors."

"Why is it so important for you to see Doctor Li?"

James' gaze darkened. "That is none of your business."

"I'm the Chief of Security here in Rivet City. It's my business to know _everything_ about _everyone_ coming in and out of _my_ city. So yeah, it kinda _is_ my business, James." Harkness didn't like the way the Wastelander was talking to him. It didn't matter if he was a doctor or not, this guy had no respect.

"Doctor Li will vouch for me."

The officer shook his head. "No, you'll tell me. _Now_."

James narrowed his eyes. "I did not come all this way to be interrogated! I did not give up my _family_ to be stopped here!"

"James?"

The man turned to Doctor Li, but Harkness kept glaring at the man. "Madison." He smiled, just a little.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harkness saw Doctor Li approaching James. "You know this man, doctor?"

"Yes," her voice sounded distant, dreamy almost. "Yes, I do." Harkness deduced you could not miss the smile plastered on her face even if you were looking from Old Olney. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later." James spoke softly before looking expectantly at the security officer.

Snorting with disdain, Harkness stepped aside, allowing the man into the city. "Don't cause any trouble, now. You hear?"

"Yes, officer." James stated in a tone Harkness registered as derision.

The man strode past Harkness, following Doctor Li into the city, most likely to her lab. The Chief of Security hissed to his subordinate who had returned from fetching Doctor Li, "Keep on eye on that one. If _anything_ is out of the ordinary while he is here, cuff him and throw him in the brig."

"Yessir." Once again, Davis scurried off.

Harkness sighed, shaking his head. He walked to the control console and retracted the bridge. As the great metal walkway swung back to align itself parallel with the battleship, the officer leaned against the rusted hull. He folded his arms across his chest and grumbled to himself, wishing he had not been forced to deal with the insufferable man and instead had been able to finish his cup of coffee.

* * *

 _ **This one is pretty short, but the next one should be longer and have a bit more action. Don't want to overload you guys with**_ **just _dialogue._**

 ** _From the way Harkness greets your character, if you claim you need to see Doctor Li, I'm assuming your dad must have pissed him off quite a bit._**

 ** _Thanks for reading, let me know what you guys think: I always appreciate reviews and messages!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

 _I was doing research on onomatopoeia, and I discovered people don't like them! How weird is that?_

 _Also, I tend to reread my chapters and update them periodically (fixing typos, adding a couple lines here and there, nothing major); just as a heads-up, in case you're rereading and you wonder why certain things are different._

 _I hope you don't mind me taking dialogue from the actual game, I'm trying to keep things (at least the MAIN conversations) authentic._

* * *

 _WHUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

 _TAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAAH!_

"OW!"

"PUNY HU-"

 _WHUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

 _TAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAAH!_

The sickening crunch of a body falling to the ground reached his ears.

 _WHUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

 _TAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAAH!_

The repeated droning whir of Eugene's barrel revving up to full speed, followed by the subsequent deafening barrage of bullets was almost maddening.

The sun beat down on the trio, roasting them alive in their suits of green armor. They had lost their quartermaster, Theo, the new kid. He couldn't save the poor bastard, bullet to the skull. Nothing he could do... Nothing.

And then she left. He didn't know if she was alive or... God, he knew what the Muties would do to her if they got a hold of her. He shuddered at the thought.

But he was in charge, her second-in-command. He had to remain calm. He had to keep his mind on the mission. Donovan was busy tinkering with the damn elevator, while Brick and Eugene continued to slaughter the Muties who dared approach their position. He was out of medical supplies. All he had was his SMG, and his, now, two-man squad.

 _WHUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

 _TAATAATAATAA-_ _WHURRWHURRWHURR!_

"Shit."

At the sound of Eugene sputtering, he peered around the barrels and found his target. The armored Super Mutant snarled and raised its hunting rifle at the man across the courtyard strewn with corpses of the foul, green freaks. The armored man raised his weapon, lined up his shot, and fired in short bursts.

Recoiling in pain, the Super Mutant stumbled backwards and landed on its ass.

"Hand him over, Brick."

"It's all right, Eugene. Donovan'll fix you right up!"

The man continued his assault just before his clip clicked empty. Ducking back under cover, he reloaded his weapon.

 _WHUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!_

 _TAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAATAAH!_

His eye twitched as the weapon came to life once more.

"Butcher!" he heard Donovan yell over Brick's maniacal laughter.

"What is it, Donovan?" he asked, turning as best he could under his cover to see the man.

"We're almost out of -"

"Ammo, I know," Butcher nodded. Brick finally halted her attack and a lull passed over the roof. "I'll broadcast again." The man extended the antenna on his radio and enunciated each word as clearly as he could. "Reiterating message. This is Butcher of Reilly's Rangers sending out an S.O.S. on all known friendly frequencies. Ammunition supply is running out and we've lost a man. We're pinned down on the roof of the Statesman Hotel by Super Mutants. If assistance is not possible, please attempt to contact Reilly, who's made for Underworld inside the Museum of History. Roof access to the Statesman Hotel is only through the adjoining hospital. Please hurry! Butcher out."

"D'ya think we'll get reinforcements, Butcher?" Brick asked, stooping under her own barricade.

"Here's hoping, Brick." As he dialed into the next frequency, a piece of metal clattered to the ground beside him. He glanced over, his heart stopping when he realized what the object was.

"GRENADE!" he shouted, diving out of cover.

He felt, rather than heard, the impact. It left a ringing in his ears and a sharp pang of pain upon his face. He patted himself down, checking for shrapnel anywhere on his body. Luckily, his face had just been grazed. He felt feet tromping towards him and he scrambled back into cover. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brick stand up and release another shriek of laughter as she started Eugene up again. Thankfully he couldn't hear either, this time.

"Donovan," he yelled, ears still ringing, "how much longer!?"

"I'm afraid we're stuck, Butcher! Damn motor's power source is shot! I'm going to need something to replace it!" Donovan's voice came into focus as he spoke, as did the godforsaken chattering coming from Eugene.

Butcher dropped to the ground as a bullet zipped by. "Something like what!?"

"A fission battery!"

Sticking his tongue in his cheek, Butcher almost laughed at their predicament. "Where _the hell_ are we going to find a fucking _fission battery_?!"

"I think we passed a maintenance room on the way up!"

Butcher remembered. It was in the big room, the lounge, with all the pool tables. The maintenance room itself was beneath a staircase, and he recalled spying a broken Protectron inside. If anything had a fission battery, it would be the damned robot. "How the fuck are we going to get it?!"

As he spoke, the whir of Eugene's barrel wound down, indicating another pause in combat. "WOO-EE! Did ya see that!? Hot damn! Me 'n Eugene just took out ten of 'em sonsuhbitches!" Brick patted her minigun lovingly.

Donovan approached the pair. "They just keep comin', don't they?"

"How much ammo do you have left?" Butcher asked his team, looking at his own supply.

"Forty." Brick quickly stated.

"Fifteen." Donovan sighed.

Grimacing at his own meager stock of five 10mm rounds, Butcher glanced between his squadmates. "How are we going to get that battery?"

A silence fell over the trio.

They didn't know how many Super Mutants still guarded the lounge. Even if they did, none of them had sufficient supplies to travel to the room and back in one piece. They didn't have another StealthBoy. They didn't have ammo. They didn't have Stimpaks or gauze or antiseptic... but they needed that fucking battery.

It was a suicide mission.

Bright blue caught Butcher's attention. He whirled to face the new threat, SMG raised. His teammates spun around as well, ready. His finger hovered over the trigger, pausing for a moment. "Hold your fire!" he snarled to his men. "Hey you!" he yelled to the moron, "Get your ass over here before you attract every Super Mutant in the building!"

The kid, more like a teenager, made her way over to their makeshift barricade, gingerly stepping over the deceased Muties and their body parts. Butcher rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. "We don't have all day, sweetheart!"

"I'm not your sweetheart, jackass," she snapped, glaring, "I'm your backup!"

Donovan snickered. "The cavalry has arrived!" he muttered, his tone mocking.

Butcher frowned, confused. "Just you?" he peeked around the girl, surely Reilly would have sent more than just _one..._

"Afraid so." the girl nodded.

"Well, shit," Brick exclaimed, "Girlie, unless you have some magic weapon in your bag, we're _fucked_!"

The squad leader ignored her. "You made it up here _alone_?" the girl nodded once more, coaxing Butcher's eyebrows upward in surprise. "Okay, I'm impressed. Reilly must have sent the right person for the job... as usual." his voice faded as he spoke the last few words, his thoughts diverting to their leader. "Hey, is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I patched her up and she's resting in the Underworld."

He sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "That's a relief. I told her she was nuts when she decided to try and sneak out of here. Guess I was wrong." he half-laughed, she always managed to surprise him. He cleared his throat, refocusing. "Now, let's talk about getting out of here. I would have proposed going back the way you came, but apparently it's impossible now. So, the express elevator is our only solution."

"Why is that? I just cleared -"

Butcher cut her off. " _Exactly_. You punched through their lines. It's only a matter of time before they rally and come after all of us."

The girl's eyes shifted from side to side, as if she was thinking, processing the information. "Maybe I can fix the elevator."

Shrugging, he replied, "Maybe you can, but we'd need a fission battery. It's the only way to locally feed power into the elevator's electronics."

A smirk came over the girl's face. "Lucky for you, I have one right here." She dug into her pack and revealed the hand-sized blue and silver battery.

"Fantastic," he couldn't contain his excitement any longer. She may be green, but this girl was proving to be useful. "Now get it hooked up to the elevator so we can get the hell out of here!"

"Oh, and I found this in an ammo box next to the guy in the stairwell," Butcher's smile fell as she mentioned Theo. The girl glanced at the man's weapon holstered on his hip. "Here's some 10mm ammo."

"Thanks, kid, makes me feel a whole lot better," he accepted the boxes gratefully. "If you've got any 5mm, hand it to Brick, and any 5.56 to Donovan."

The girl nodded before darting off to Butcher's companions. Brick yelled enthusiastically, "Oh _HELL_ yeah!" while Donovan made some snarky comment. As his team reloaded their weapons, the brunette set to work on the elevator.

Butcher took charge once more, "Alright team, as soon as she gets it up and running, make a break for it. Remember, our rally point is our H.Q.: Ranger Compound. Don't stop for anything, kid!" he directed his last statement to the newcomer, the last thing he needed was for the girl to make some stupid mistake as they were in the clear.

"Where's the compound?" the girl asked, shutting the control panel on the elevator.

"Seward Square," the medic replied, checking the sights on his submachine gun. He waved everyone into the elevator when the girl gave him a thumbs up. "Into the elevator, let's go!"

The quartet piled into the elevator, Brick taking up the most room with Eugene. Donovan punched a button and the metal box began its descent.

As the numbered dial above the elevator doors rotated counter-clockwise, Brick knocked shoulders with the girl. "Hey, what's your name, kid?"

The girl in blue smiled, "It's Alice. Alice Catherine Vann."

"Don't worry, me 'n Eugene got your back!"

"There'll be time for pleasantries later, ladies," Butcher grumbled, the elevator coming to a stop. "Let's move!" As the doors opened, Brick and Donovan bolted into the fray. Alice gulped and clutched onto her R91 assault rifle for dear life, following after the pair. Butcher sucked in a breath and prayed whatever force that had protected Reilly on her excursion out of the hotel, protected them as well.

A storm of bullets reached his ears and as he entered the lobby, two Muties came into view. Brick and Donovan unloaded on one, while Alice and Butcher set their sights on the other. Butcher sucked in a breath and took aim, squeezing the trigger and releasing a bombardment of bursts, controlling his spray with practiced motions.

Both mutants fell with ease and Butcher smiled a little, it seemed the mutants weren't expecting this avenue of escape.

Alice scrambled across the overlook, rushing towards the stairs leading to the first floor and the entrance. It turned out the girl was apt at listening to orders.

The whirring of a minigun barrel reaching top speed filled the room. Butcher glanced to his right, his blood running cold when he realized it was not Eugene.

"KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" A spray of marble chunks and white dust flew over the girl.

"MOVE UP!" Butcher ordered. He was _not_ going to lose another to those damned Super Mutants. Brick and Donovan ran forward, shouting insults at the Muties, in an attempt to divert the attention to the better-equipped mercenaries rather than the skinny girl. Butcher darted after his squadmates, sliding to his knees as he reached the pile of rubble.

A hand, red blood dripping down between fingers, pushed itself out of the debris.

He dug into the scree, ripping and tearing chunks of marble off of the girl. Finally, he reached the blue jumpsuit and pulled Alice out. The girl winced in pain, her arms and legs contorted into unnatural positions and blood staining her outfit. The medic carried her into cover, a back room, away from the fight. "Alice? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can here you," she groaned. "Damn... and I thought _Wally_ hit hard."

Butcher didn't know who Wally was, but he kept working, sifting through the girl's bag in search for something - _anything_ \- to help stop the bleeding. "I need you to keep talking to me, Alice." He needed her to stay conscious. He needed to know she was still alive.

Coughing up blood, the girl nodded, "Yeah, I'm still here..." her eyes began to flutter shut.

"Stay with me, Alice!" he finally yanked a Stimpak out of her bag, pulled up her sleeve, and jammed it into her arm, injecting her with the medicine.

The girl murmured in response. "Da..."

The screech of bullets came to an end, and a familiar voice whooped with joy. "Oh yeah! We just killed ourselves a bunch of Mutie booty!"

"All clear?" Butcher called to his team, wondering if they had lost another.

"All clear, Butcher!" he heard Donovan respond, and Butcher sighed, thankful he only had _one_ person to patch up.

"Good," he shouted back, "'cause I need help with Alice!"

* * *

 _ **As I was writing this chapter, I forgot what the minigun sounded like and searched for an audio file. Instead, I found an awesome mod changing the default minigun's audio file. It's called "Minigun fire sound" by Wile E Coyote. You can find it on the Fallout 3 Nexus.**_

 _ **In regards to omitting the word "repeat", despite me stating I prefer to keep the dialogue authentic, it's a reference to military jargon. In the military, "repeat" is used to basically state, "another barrage of artillery please!". Because of this, "repeat" is reserved for just that purpose: artillery fire. Therefore, I have omitted the word and replaced it with "reiterate": it's to respect the military jargon, prevent people from using that mistake in other writings, and because (even though Reilly's Rangers aren't**_ **really _military service members) I think they would respect the actual jargon._**

 ** _As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

 _Sorry guys, I spent my writing time installing Fallout 3 and a ton of mods on my laptop. Finally managed to get my body replacer mods working, but again, it ate into my writing time._

 _I'm referencing medical supplies in Fallout: New Vegas. Why? Because they make sense._

 _When we left off, Alice was badly hurt. This is the follow-up. If you are squeamish, don't read, I tried to make it as descriptive as possible._

* * *

 _ **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DEPICTIONS OF GRAPHIC CONTENT!**_

* * *

The blue, metal door slammed against the concrete wall. Jumping out of her seat, the orange-haired woman whipped out her SMG, knocking over her bowl of noodles and beer in the process.

"REILLY!" Butcher's voice, instead of sending the usual tremors of heat and passion, sent a bone-chilling fear up her spine. Holstering her weapon, she charged out of her room, hanging a left in the hallway.

The dark-skinned man came into view, lifting a pair of two-by-fours acting as handles to a makeshift stretcher. Atop the stretcher was a now familiar figure: Alice, the girl who had helped revive the orange-haired woman in Underworld. Blood-soaked pieces of cloth had been wrapped around her arms, legs, torso, and head. Her limbs were twisted into painful positions, and she was unconscious. Overall, she looked to be in more of a sorry state than Reilly herself had been in.

"What the fuck happened?" the squad leader demanded.

"Easy, Donovan," Butcher murmured as the other male who held the other end of the stretcher made his way down the stairs. "Let's take her to the kitchen."

Brick followed behind, toting Eugene around, as always.

"Butcher," Reilly growled, "what _the fuck_ happened!?"

Her second-in-command locked eyes with her. While his face betrayed no emotion, the fear was present in his eyes. Still, he did not speak.

"Damn Mutie Master unloaded a whole lotta lead on her," Brick finally explained. Reilly closed her eyes, the reality of the damage the other girl had sustained sinking into her. "Luckily, she was quick enough to get outta the way, but the Mutie was a bad shot anyway: sprayed concrete over the whole girl, from the wall to the roof."

The group shuffled into the kitchen. In reality, the kitchen was also the living quarters of the other Rangers. It was extremely small, with very little space to actually walk through. Reilly considered telling them to move to her quarters, but Brick was already throwing the beer bottles littering the folding table onto the floor. Thankfully, the thick glass did not shatter as it impacted the metal floor.

"Slowly, slowly," Butcher ordered as the men lowered the woman onto the table. When she was finally secure, Butcher set to work. "Donovan, bring me all the medical supplies we have." As Donovan scurried off, Reilly approached the table. "Reilly, help me get her out of this." He motioned to Alice's jumpsuit and handed the woman a pair of heavy scissors.

Reilly worked as fast as her trembling hands would allow her. God, she had never _seen_ so much blood; not even that time when Brick had taken a sledgehammer to a Raider after he had insulted Eugene. She cut through the fabric, careful to leave the girl's underclothes intact. As her fair skin was exposed, Butcher applied antiseptic and wrapped it in a bandage and Reilly could finally see just how much damage had been done: cuts, scrapes, fresh purple-brown bruises... and deep gouges, bullet holes, and broken bones. Her left shin had broken the skin and protruded out of place, exposing white bone and oozing red blood.

A retching sound in the corner informed Reilly that Brick had emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

 _Stupid girl. She should be wearing some goddamned armor, not some augmented jumpsuit._

Donovan stumbled into the room, carrying a rectangular, brown bag. Embroidered in white on one side of the bag was a winged pole, with two snakes wrapping around the length of the pole on either side. "Here's everything, Butcher."

"Thanks, Donovan," the medic mumbled, brandishing a pair of tweezers. He used the small tool to poke into the girl's bullet wounds, digging around and pulling out bits of lead. As he worked, blood flowed out of the wounds and the red flesh squished as he searched for more metal. Reilly cringed at the sound, still, she wiped as much blood as she could away from the areas.

The next object he pulled from the bag was a needle and thread. Reilly silently cursed. Even though she was a self-proclaimed, tough-as-nails merc, she _hated_ needles.

After looping the thread through the needle eye, Butcher pulled out his lighter and sterilized the shaft. Reilly wiped the wound once more with antiseptic. Butcher poked the needle into the girl's skin and began threading the wound closed. Reilly looked away.

"Wipe." he said, after a minute. Reilly obeyed, and was relieved to see he was done... with that bullet hole.

After what seemed like an eternity of closing bullet holes, Butcher rifled through the bag, and pulled out a thick stick. "Hold her down." he ordered, jamming the piece of wood between her teeth. Donovan, Brick, and Reilly obeyed, Donovan and Brick holding her shoulders and arms while Reilly held onto her right ankle, as Butcher maneuvered around the table to the left leg. He placed one hand on her knee, the other around her ankle. "On three. One, two... three."

With a sickening _SCHLOCK_ , he slid the bone back into place. The girl jerked awake, screaming against the stick and attempting to rise upwards. The Rangers held her down. The table shook and clanged against the floor. Tears came to the girl's eyes as the pain coursed through her body.

"Shh," Butcher attempted to soothe the girl. "You're okay. You're okay." He wrapped a leather strap around the site and flicked the Stimpak to life. He shot a look at Reilly and she understood: this girl was worth the rare Super Stimpak. Butcher injected the medicine into the girl and she finally stopped struggling.

She was breathing hard, her chest heaving and her body shaking.

"I'm going to have to do it again, Alice," the medic explained, moving to her arms. "I have to pop your arm back into place. Do you understand?"

She nodded, and Donovan moved to her left leg.

"Alright. On three," as he grasped the girl's right wrist, he shot a glance at his fellow Rangers. "One..." He pushed up and twisted.

Again, the girl screamed, though she did not writhe as much as before.

"Good, good," he purred, injecting the girl with another Stimpak. "We're almost done." he whispered, almost more to himself than to his patient. He looked at the girl's bloody underclothes and grimaced. "She can't stay in those clothes."

Reilly nodded, "Get the girl some armor while you're at it." As the men filed out of the room, Brick pulled out a few extra pairs of underclothes. Reilly removed the stick from the girl's mouth and explained. "We're just going to help you change, alright?"

Alice nodded, and, even in her sorry state, still managed to smirk, "You've already taken off my clothes, what's my underwear too? Heh."

The orange-haired woman smiled a little. Taking the scissors in hand once more, she cut off the girl's, previously, white tank top, blue bra, and blue boy shorts. The girl was completely naked, and Reilly didn't stare: she had the same body parts too, after all. It took a few minutes, but Brick and Reilly managed to pull the underclothes onto the slowly recovering girl.

As they worked, Alice began to move and help as much as she could; though the girl quickly discovered her movement was limited due to her injuries. The effort proved to be too much for the girl, and her eyes fluttered shut as the after effects of the Super Stimpak kicked in.

Reilly gave the okay for the men. "We're decent!" Donovan and Butcher emerged from the hall as Brick transferred Alice to a bed.

"How is she?" Butcher asked.

Shrugging, the orange-haired woman stated, "A lot better." Her eyes slid to the dark man beside her. "Thanks to you."

The man checked the girl's pulse, "Yeah, sure..." his voice drifted off, as if his mind were on other things.

"Hey," Reilly nudged his shoulder with hers, "At least this one lasted longer. That's something, right?"

He grunted in response.

Reilly gave up trying to comfort him, there was no point in wasting her breath. "Did you get her a suit?"

"Hell yeah, it'll be a lot better than that ridiculous -"

"Jumpsuit." the pair stated together and they chuckled, just a little, shaking their heads.

* * *

 ** _I've just realized I have to write the entirety of the events of Fallout 3 over the course of (in-story) 5 months. However, I will be altering that slightly (I need time to develop relationships, things don't happen overnight). Therefore, the events of Fallout 3 will take place, roughly, by the end of 2277, the DLC will take place by the end of 2278. I looked at the timeline and it states Sarah dies in 2278. HOWEVER, after looking at the Prydwen terminal entries, the journal entries which state Sarah's death, it does not give a specific year. Therefore, fuck Fallout 4, I'm changing that too._**

 ** _Check out "Bornagain Combat Armor" by EmeraldReign and Cabal120 on Nexus, super cool._**

 ** _Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay, I'll try to post another chapter, on time, this weekend!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

 _Another chapter, on time, as promised!_

 _Taking a different approach with this one; thought I would slow it down a little bit, since we've had a lot of action these past few chapters._

 ** _WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUAL THEMES BETWEEN TWO FEMALE CHARACTERS (not a sex scene... yet, I'm just going to tease you a bit ;) )!_**

* * *

Despite her own comments, she found _herself_ staring as she leaned her back against the cool, marble wall. The girl had darted behind a makeshift wall, stripped off the ceramic plates of her combat armor, and opted to change into an alluring, skin-tight leather jumpsuit. But hey, the older girl wasn't complaining... not with _this_ view at least.

The brunette had insisted on listening to music on the radio. The one with that annoying announcer, Two Dog? Street Hound? She wasn't sure, she was too focused on the other girl's swaying hips as she moved to the upbeat trill of an instrument echoing through the still of the dark, marble room.

As the girl wiped sweat off her brow, she bent over once more to type into the terminal. Face illuminated only by the flames flickering atop the barrel, the raven-haired woman stood by, took another drag of her cigarette and smirked. She had purposefully omitted the fact she had already hacked into the security system and retrieved the password for the cargo lift: things were much more... _interesting_ this way.

The older girl stared at the other, eyes locked on her shapely, _firm_ ass, bouncing to and fro to the rhythm of the music. She couldn't help but bite her lip as curious thoughts began to cross her mind.

Were _other_ places as tight as her backside? Would she squirm and writhe if she pushed two fingers inside her? Was she a virgin? Would she scream? Moan? Scream _and_ moan? What about her stamina? How long would she last? An hour? Half an hour? Twenty minutes? Would she have to get her drunk first? Or would she jump at the opportunity? Was she even interested in women? If not, she sure as hell would _make_ her interested.

"Sydney?" The girl's voice interrupted the relic hunter's thoughts.

"Yeah?" she adopted a cool, casual tone, masking her arousal.

The girl remained in her leaning position, but turned her face to look at the dark-haired girl behind her. The girl's nose wrinkled slightly as she smirked, and Sydney was acutely aware of the sharp pang of desire within her core. She looked almost tauntingly at the older girl, almost as if she were teasing her. Almost as if she were saying, "Come and get me." _Damn_ , she thought, _I wonder if that's the same look she'll give me when this is all over._

"I think I've got it."

 _Oh, you most certainly do._ "The lift?" Sydney asked, focusing on looking at the girl's eyes and not her other... _assets_.

Narrowing her eyes, the girl shot a confused look at the relic hunter. "Yeah, what else would I have?" _Oh, I could tell you_ exactly _what you have, girl._ "I've _only_ been at this for the past hour!"

That's when it hit her. _An_ hour _!? It took me_ days _to find that damn password!_ But Sydney kept her cool. "Nice, I've been cracking at it for _days_ now."

The brunette stood up, much to the other's disappointment, and turned to face her fully. "Well, seems like you needed a helping hand to come your way."

"More like deft _fingers_." Sydney hid her smirk by taking another drag, secretly hoping the girl would catch on to her comment.

Shrugging, the girl leaned back against the table, both hands placed flat on the table and supporting her. "I would have said something more like a fresh pair of eyes."

Clearly the girl wasn't taking the hint. _A fresh pair of breasts is more like it._

The girl continued, eyes looking into a corner in the ceiling. "Or a sharper mind, I guess." A flood of red passed over her cheeks as the realization of what she had implied reached her.

Sydney pounced on the opportunity. "A little _cocky_ aren't you?"

Throwing her head back in laughter, the girl tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. When she settled down, she shook her head and locked eyes with the raven-haired girl. "Not quite. The opposite, actually." She stood to her full height, just an inch or so shorter than Sydney herself, and motioned to her figure.

The raven-haired girl opted for a more direct approach. "Hmm," she hummed, as if she were assessing the validity of the claim. She ran her eyes down her slender figure, from her breasts to her pretty little loins, then back up again. "Yes, I suppose. But I must say, it truly doesn't matter to me." She locked eyes with the girl and grinned. "All is fair in _love_ and war."

Releasing a nervous laugh, another rush of red overcame her features as the girl finally realized what Sydney was implying. "I wouldn't say _that_."

Sydney pushed herself off the wall and sauntered towards the girl, swaying her hips and flicking away her cigarette. "And why is that?"

At her approach, the girl shifted slightly, as if to move from the table, but Sydney quickly closed the distance between them. "I'm a committed woman."

"That doesn't mean anything." Sydney leaned over the girl, placing her own hands over the girl's.

"Not to some. But to _me_ it does." the girl whispered, her voice wavering ever so slightly. She leaned back further, but found her back could not support such an action. Her hands tensed, but found no where to go as the older girl kept them firmly in place against the table.

The dark-haired girl brought her face closer to the brunette's. "Are you sure?" She leaned even closer, letting her lips graze over the other girl's. Taunting. Teasing. _Demanding_ a response.

She felt the hands beneath hers shift, struggle, push against hers, as Sydney pressed her lips to the girl's. She slid her tongue out, attempting to pry the girl's mouth open, pressing for entrance. The girl opened her mouth for a moment, just a moment, and Sydney pushed in. Besides her hot, wet mouth, she tasted sweet. And Sydney felt the girl was the same: sweet, innocent, uncorrupted by the Wastes.

A sharp pain lanced up her tongue, and Sydney jerked back, shocked. She _bit_ her! Another pang hit her right between the eyes and she stumbled back from the impact, her head reeling, dazed. The backs of her knees hit something hard and her hands flew to steady herself on the object behind her.

Without warning, the girl had _her_ pinned in a position similar to their previous. The cold, metal muzzle of a gun was pressed to the bottom of her chin. " _Don't_ try that again." the girl warned. "You hear me?"

Sydney smirked. The girl had some fire after all. But she doubted she would actually take the shot. "Whatever you say."

The girl lingered for a moment, and Sydney noted how the girl's chest heaved when she was upset. Finally, she released the relic hunter and staggered back. Her hands shook and, unable to hold onto the weapon any longer, her gun clattered to the ground.

She was scared.

Of what, Sydney couldn't say exactly, she wasn't a doctor or anything. She suspected it had something to do with the girl realizing and fearing what she could be capable of, but again, it wasn't her concern. Nevertheless, she offered the girl a cigarette to calm her nerves.

"I... I don't like the smell." the girl quietly admitted, shaking her head.

It was Sydney's turn to laugh. "I don't think anyone likes it, girl." She kept her hand held out, just in case the girl changed her mind.

"No, I'm good," she muttered. Sydney shrugged and tucked it back into her pack. "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

"I've had plenty of guns pointed at me, you're not the first." _And certainly won't be the last_. In truth, Sydney didn't think she had overreacted: she would have done the exact same thing had she been in an uncomfortable sexual situation.

But the girl wasn't having it. "I shouldn't have..." she cut herself off, clearly embarrassed and regretful.

After a moment, Sydney sighed, giving up on consoling the girl. She didn't have time to waste on a girl not wanting a relationship, however fleeting, and she was already late on delivering the stupid scrap of paper to Abraham. It was time to move. "We've got the password, let's get going, yeah?"

The girl nodded, ducking behind a wall once again. When she emerged, she had donned her green combat armor and strapped on a helmet.

Smirking once more, the relic hunter turned her back on the girl and spoke, her voice utterly serious. "And keep your eyes on the mission, and off my ass, please."

* * *

 ** _From her dialogue, you can't exactly tell what Sydney's exact sexual orientation is. However, I will assume she is, at the very least, bisexual._**

 ** _I_** **highly _recommend J17's Companions and NPCs Overhaul. All of the companions look amazing (but I had to edit the .esp to give Butch a shave, I like my guys clean shaven; took a while, but I finally got it to work... after a shit ton of plinking before I realized it happened to be a user error)._**

 ** _I know it was a little short, but the next chapter is going to be mega long._**

 ** _Thanks guys for reading, I'll see you all next week!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note** :

 _Sorry guys! Got super busy over the summer, started dating my best guy friend, and then classes started up. I've also been working on some original work, but I haven't forgotten you!_

 _Anyways, here it is! The_ long _overdue chapter! I decided to break it up to ease myself back into writing WaW, kind of hard to remember my thought process, so sorry for the shorter chapter!_

 _For conversations over the radio, I've decided to italicize them within their quotation marks, don't remember if I noted that before..._

* * *

" _She was_ so _flirting with the Sentinel!_ "

" _You think every woman is flirting with everyone!_ "

Lyons grimaced with distaste at her subordinates' conversation over the radio. _Do they_ really _have to talk about this in broad daylight?_

"At least they have the decency to say it over the comm, and not out loud." Vargas laughed, that was when the blonde realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

Glade continued his assertion, " _Well_ hey _there_ ," his voice adopted a husky, feminine tone, mimicking the woman of Asian descent the Pride had passed on their way up to Rivet City. " _All that metal must make you_ so _cold. Want me to_ warm _you up?_ " Even the apery of the relic hunter sent Lyons' blood boiling with rage and she felt the corners of her mouth twitch even further downward.

" _He's got a point, Dusk."_ Kodiak agreed.

Lyons quickened her pace, finally reaching the end of the bridge and stepping onto the structure across from the ancient, atrophying aircraft carrier. Bounding down the ramp, the woman snarled into her receiver, " _If you don't stop talking about that_ goddamned harlot _again, I swear, I'll_ -"

A hand clapped itself onto her shoulder, pulling her back from charging into her team at the bottom of the ramp. Vargas' low chuckle sounded in her helmet, " _Relax, Lyons_."

" _That relic hunter makes me so...!_ " The blonde couldn't even finish her sentence. Someone snickered over the radio and Lyons pounced. " _Glade!_ "

" _Haha, I'm sorry, Lyons,_ " the eldest of the group tried to defend himself, " _I just find it funny how she can pick you out of all of us!_ "

" _Well_ , _she_ is _the one giving orders..._ " the bear of the group grunted.

Colvin changed the subject, " _What about that girl from the Vault?_ She _seemed to get a certain starry-eyed look when she saw our fearless leader's face…"_

 _Ugh,_ her, Lyons snarled to herself. " _Damn girl is probably halfway into a ditch by now._ "

" _Have some faith, Lyons._ " the sniper continued.

The other female in the group spoke up, " _Is it the Wastes, or the girl you doubt, I wonder?_ "

Lyons spun on her heel to snap at her subordinates. " _You've all seen what this place does to people._ " She threw her index finger in the general direction of the GNR plaza. "That girl _has about as much of a chance as a mole rat in a den of ghouls. The Wastes will eat her up._ "

There was a pause as the gravity of Lyons' words settled in amongst her group. It was true. They had seen it. They had _all_ seen it, first-hand. From those spiky-haired raiders jumped-up on Psycho and Jet, to the whores at Moriarty's Saloon, from the disease-ridden beggars of Rivet City, to the cannibals skulking in alleyways and sewers, the Capital Wasteland was a desolate, dreary district of debauchery.

Citizens holed themselves up in settlements both in and out of the city, shying away from the raiders and slavers and mutated creatures stalking the Wasteland. The Brotherhood couldn't contain it. Hell, for over twenty years they had been settled in the Citadel, and they had barely broken out of the confines of the city in their patrols. Even then, there were still alleys to be walked, buildings to be explored.

D.C. was not safe.

They were spread too thin, not even 100 filled their ranks. Raiders and super mutants and mercenary groups crawled along the streets in broad daylight. How the hell could they expect to win the support of the people when they couldn't even secure a goddamned city?

The Brotherhood was a joke, and Lyons knew it. With all of their technology and science and tactics and weapons, even they could not secure D.C. What chance did a small girl, armed with an N99 and that _ridiculous_ blue and yellow jumpsuit, who hailed from an entombed Vault have? Naivety? Yes. Innocence? Sure. Battle-hardened senses and the will to survive? Not a chance. She was just a kid. Just a girl, really. A pretty girl with a pretty face. Now, _that_ , would get her into trouble.

 _The Wastes will eat her up_.

Dusk shrugged and broke the silence, " _Shame too. She wasn't that bad of a shot. Brotherhood could've used another able-bodied woman._ "

A snicker sounded through the speakers.

Lyons' eyes shut in exasperation, " _Glade, for Steel's sake -_ "

A shrill, warbling pierced the air. With a start, Lyons realized it was a woman's voice, echoing off the ancient, creaking, rusted-red structure as it undulated, singing.. "Stars fading, but I linger on dear -"

" _What_ in the world i _s that?_ " Kodiak spoke, voicing everyone's thoughts.

As the voice grew closer, a twinge pulsed through Lyons' stomach. She recognized that voice. Her eyes widened in surprise and her breath caught in her throat. _Oh no_.

Dusk identified the owner as well. " _It sounds like a certain female personality we were just discussing…_ "

"Still craving your kiss!" Lyons could hear the girl's music now, blasting loudly and setting a ragtime tune. Footsteps clanked against the metal structure in pairs... almost as if the girl was... skipping.

" _Looks like she's thinking about a certain someone, eh Lyons?_ " The Sentinel could practically hear the smirk on the Paladin's face.

The voice was almost on top of them now. Actually, it _was_ on top of them: her singing had reached the top of the building and Lyons could hear the girl beginning her descent. She would be at the top of the ramp any second now. They had to go. " _Let's move._ " Lyons growled, striding quickly towards the west.

" _Hold on_ ," Glade protested, " _M_ _y foot is stuck._ "

Lyons glanced over her shoulder, instinctively, her eyes flying to the man's feet. Her eyes narrowed with chagrin as she realized he was bluffing. " _It is not! Pride,_ move _!_ " They had to go _now_. She was almost -

"Hey there!" the girl chirped in greeting as she bounded down the ramp.

 _Son of a yao guai._

The girl with hair the color of dark rust darted up to the Brotherhood members, a bright, goofy, toothy smile plastered on her face. She still wore that goddamned jumpsuit. Lyons scowled as the girl bolted up to the Pride, the jumpsuit outlining the girl's perky, yet small, bouncing breasts. Lyons guessed she might be a B-cup. The girl ran her eyes over each of them, almost searching. "I ran into a few of you about a week ago, and I was wondering -"

Lyons rolled her eyes and cut her off, using her helmet speaker. "If we could deliver a message for you? What do we look like, couriers?" She didn't have the time, nor the desire, to indulge in the girl's antics.

Hazel eyes lit up at the sound of the woman's voice and Vann immediately locked onto the Sentinel. "Lyons!" She scrunched up her face, as if she were thinking. Eyes glancing up and down Lyons' figure, Vann continued, "You know, it's _so hard_ discerning who's who with all that armor on." A smile crossed her face once more as a revelation struck her, lighting up her eyes once more. "You should take off your helmet once in a while!"

" _So she can stare at your face again?_ " Glade postulated, the smirk still apparent in his voice.

Lyons ignored him. "That's _highly_ impractical."

Vann turned her cheekbone to Lyons, simpering at the Sentinel at an angle. "Don't you miss feeling the breeze on your face?"

"Oh _yes_ ," Lyons rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "the gentle breeze of _radiation_."

A low chuckle sounded in her ears and Vargas spoke into the radio, " _Just humor the girl, Lyons. Maybe it'll get her out of our hair sooner._ "

Vann continued to stare at Lyons, as if she were expecting the woman to remove her helmet, despite her protests. Lyons let out a rankled sigh and followed her sergeant's suggestion. She wrinkled her nose and forced a smile, "Happy?"

The girl's smile extended across her entire face and she clapped in excitement. " _There_ she is! He-llo _gorgeous_!" To Lyons' horror, she shot a wink at the Sentinel, right in front of her team.

A wave of heat flooded her cheeks as the Pride burst into laughter in her head. Shaking her head and attempting to regain control of both her composure and the situation, Lyons queried, "Is there something you need, Vann? Or did you just want to delay us?"

"Actually, I just wanted to say hi," Vann admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "I was headed out to Jefferson Memorial myself."

"How funny," Glade's voice sounded aloud, sending a chill of fear down Lyons' spine and an impact of furious heat in her lower back, "we're headed back to the Citadel."

" _Glade…_ " Lyons warned over the radio. _Don't you_ dare.

"And it just so happens that our route passes by the Jefferson Memorial!" It took every ounce of the Sentinel's self-control to stop herself from strangling the heavy weapons expert.

Vann gasped, "Really!?"

" _Glade, I'm going to kill you._ "

* * *

 _ **I've realized something while writing this chapter: Fallout 3 is much more tame and kind in comparison to Fallout: New Vegas, something both my younger brother and my boyfriend criticize. Therefore, I will be writing Fallout 3 with a much darker tone, something to emulate the chaos and depravity of the Wastes and give them more credit for the term, "Nuclear Wasteland". Don't get me wrong, I**_ **love _Fallout 3, a point of contention between my boyfriend and I, but there is much more to be desired from the environment and people: quantity and debauchery._**

 ** _If there is anything I have learned about the Wastes, it is how people can change with the influence of the darker aspects of society, something I am quite interested in. As a result, I will be exploring the darker aspects of society with the influence of freedom and revelry, which is implied in the Wastes, throughout the rest of the story with greater fervor. You have seen but a mere glimpse of what I have in store, as described in Sarah's inner monologue with herself._**

 ** _This means there will be increased instances of highly immoral/controversial topics, including, but not limited to, cannibalism, rape, torture, mind control/domination (not simply hypnosis), and physical augmentation/mutilation._**

 ** _I will_ clearly _post such things with warnings for those who do not wish to explore this style of writing or aspect of human nature with me._**

 ** _I believe I did mention I would be experimenting with it in the first author's note, but with this realization, I have decided it is going to be much more graphic, intense, and exploring other themes I had previously not thought of._**

 ** _Thank you for your patience as I continue on my journey of self-discovery with both my writing and exploration of human nature, I hope I can continue to pump out quality writing in a timely manner since school is coming to a close this semester._**

 ** _As always, thanks for reading guys! Let me know what you think of my assessment and if you think it's a good progression._**

* * *

 _ **After much thought, I have decided I have WAY too much filler in this piece; due to this, I am not getting to what I really want to discuss in the story. Therefore, this will be the last chapter FOR THIS VERSION. You can happily read my newer version, under the same title (I'll rename this one to WaW v1 or something) once I rewrite the first chapter.**_

 _ **Thanks guys for reading, I really appreciate it, and I will see you in the updated WaW!**_


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